Biological activities of lignin hydrolysate-related compounds

• Main Authors: Siseon Lee, Ajay Kalanjana Monnappa, Robert J. Mitchell
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2012-05-01
• Series: BMB Reports
• Subjects: Antioxidant; Hydrolysates; Lignocellulosic biomass; Phenolics
• Online Access: http://bmbreports.org/jbmb/pdf.php?data=MTMxMTA4MTVAcGRmX3JhaW50cmFjZV9sZWV5c0AlNUI0NS01JTVEMTIwNTI2MTAwOF8lMjgyNjUtMjc0JTI5Qk1CMTItNDUtNS5wZGY=

Lignin hydrolysates contain many different chemical species,including ferulic acid, coumaric acid, vanillic acid, vanillin,syringaldehyde and furfural. From the perspective of biofuels,these compounds are problematic and can cause downstreamloss of product if not removed prior to beginning the fermentativeprocess. In contrast, a search for these compounds withinthe literature turns up many papers where the same compoundshave beneficial properties pertaining to human health,including as antioxidants and in cancer prevention, or are involvedin bacterial cell-to-cell signaling. Consequently, this articlereviews the dual nature of these and other compoundsfound in lignin hydrolysates, highlighting both their detrimentaland beneficial activities. [BMB Reports 2012; 45(5):265-274]