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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #61238
Title: SEVERE INHIBITION OF FIBER DEGRADATION BY CINNAMYL ALDEHYDE CONTAINING LIGNINS

Author
item Grabber, John
item Ralph, John
item Hatfield, Ronald

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/3/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The effect of lignin composition on fiber degradation was assessed using cell walls isolated from cell suspensions of maize (Zea mays L.). Nonlignified walls containing bound peroxidase were synthetically lignified with several types of lignin precursors and hydrogen peroxide to a Klason lignin concentration of about 140 mg g**-1. Fungal hydrolase degradability yof walls lignified with coniferyl aldehyde was only two-thirds that of walls lignified with p-coumaryl, coniferyl, or sinapyl alcohols. Selective reduction of aldehydes with borohydride largely eliminated degradability differences, suggesting that the high hydrophobicity of aldehyde containing lignins reduced wall degradability. Our results indicate that incorporation of p-hydroxycinnamyl aldehydes into lignin, via downregulation of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, will severely restrict the bioconversion of structural carbohydrates into ethanol fuels and into metabolizable energy for livestock.