Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of lignin from residue of corn stover to ethanol production

To improve the economic viability of the biofuel production from biomass resource, a value-added lignin byproduct from this process is increasingly important. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of lignin extracted from residue of corn stover to ethanol production were investigated. The lignin extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activities in hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay and Folin-Ciocalteu test. The extracts also exhibited antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) and yeast (Candida lipolytica), but not Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Enteritidis) or bacteriophage MS2. Different extraction conditions (temperature and residue/solvent ratio) affected the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of lignin extracts. Generally, the bioactivities of lignin extracts were consistent with FTIR analysis results. Lignin byproducts showed the potential for their antioxidant and antimicrobial application.