Lignocellulose Research Paper

Lignocellulose is one of the most important components of plant biomass. It comprises of approximately 50% of plant matter as a result of photosynthesis and is a plentiful resource found in soil. Lignocellulose is comprised of three plant polymers, these are; cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, all of which are inter-chemically bonded through covalent and non-covalent linkages. Only a small amounts produced as by-products in agricultural practices for example are utilized, the large remainder is waste. Lignocellulosic residues from plants, agricultural, forestry and municipal wastes are abundant in the environment and can be utilized for biomass conversion. They are a renewable source of energy from which biological and chemical products can

Some microorganisms have further evolved to breakdown tougher plant components such as lignin, which is a component found in plant cell walls. These organisms are known as white rot fungi (WRF) and they possess the ability to break down and degrade lignin into carbon dioxide (CO2). There are other lignocellulose degrading fungi and these are known as brown rot fungi, however they quickly depolymerize cellulose and only modify lignin rather than degrade it like WRF, however both play a huge role in the carbon

This process then differentiates into many non-enzymatic reactions that include C-4-ether breakdown, Cα-Cß breakdown and demethoxylation. Aromatic aldehydes released from Cα-Cß breakdown of lignin are substrates for hydrogen peroxide formation by aryl-alcohol oxidase reactions involving aryl-alcohol dehydrogenases. Providing that they are reduced by oxidases to phenolic compounds, phenoxy radicals from C-4-ether degradation can repolymerize on lignin. Laccases can also re-oxidize phenolic compounds. Phenoxy radicals are also subjected to Cα-Cß breakdown producing p-quinones which contribute to oxygen activation in redox cycling reactions involving the laccases and