Lignin Loss Mystery in Anaerobic System Resolved

Sreesha Malayil^*, Chanakya HN and Roopa GP

Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012, India

*Corresponding Author : Sreesha Malayil
Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012, India
Tel: +9180-22933046
Fax: +91 80-23600683
E-mail: chanakya@astra.iisc.ernet.in

Received: January 20, 2017 Accepted: April 05, 2017 Published: April 10, 2017

Citation: Malayil S, Chanakya HN, Roopa JP (2017) Lignin Loss Mystery in Anaerobic System Resolved. Expert Opin Environ Biol 6:2. doi: 10.4172/2325-9655.1000144

Lignin Loss Mystery in Anaerobic System Resolved

Lignin fractions lost (30-70%) during anaerobic digestion of dicot leaf litter has been investigated with potential implications for biomethanation and bioethanol production. Five species of moderately lignified tree leaf species were anaerobically digested and the lignin loss pattern was studied. The pattern of loss showed that syringyl units were the predominant loss from primarily cell wall lignins during the early phase after which lignin of vascular bundles was attacked. FT-IR assays on the Klason lignin indicated even core lignin structures to be altered under prolonged anaerobic degradation and this is being reported for the first time. In all the species studied, lignin degradation was strongly influenced by the leaf area, wax layer and guaiacyl content.