Lignin characteristics of Abies beshanzuensis, a critically endangered tree species

As one of the major components of plant cell walls, lignin structural features are closely related with taxonomical and genetic classification of plants. In this study, the structural features of lignin of Abies beshanzuensis were investigated. Abies firma, which is genetically the closest species to A. beshanzuensis, Cryptomeria japonica, a typical gymnosperm tree species, and Phyllostachys pubescens (bamboo), which includes p-hydroxyphenyl nuclei in arylglycerol-β-aryl intermonomer linkages, were also analyzed to compare lignin features with those of A. beshanzuensis. The lignin content of A. beshanzuensis (39.2%) was significantly higher than that of A. firma (33.7%). The high value may be due to the adaptation of A. beshanzuensis to environmental stresses in surviving the Riss glacial period. Alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation, ozonation, acidolysis, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra showed that the structural features of lignin of A. beshanzuensis were similar to those of A. firma, which is genetically the closest species of A. beshanzuensis. The results of this study suggest that A. firma would be a suitable mother tree species for grafting A. beshanzuensis on the basis of their lignin characteristics.