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- Fractionation of hemicelluloses and lignin from rice straw by combining autohydrolysis and optimised mild organosolv delignificationPublication . Moniz, Patricia; Lino, João; Duarte, Luís C.; Roseiro, Luisa B.; Boeriu, Carmen G.; Pereira, Helena; Carvalheiro, FlorbelaAn integrated strategy was followed to valorise rice straw, one of the most relevant biomass feedstocks available worldwide, to selectively recover solubilised hemicelluloses and lignin. The pathway encompassed the use of autohydrolysis to hydrolyse the hemicelluloses and an ethanol-based organosolv process to solubilise lignin. Several autohydrolysis conditions were assayed with the best results obtained at 210 ºC (log R0 4.15), which enabled high removal of hemicelluloses, yielding an oligosaccharide-rich hydrolysate and a treated biomass with low content of hemicelluloses and enriched in cellulose and lignin. The effects of ethanol concentration (5 to 75%), and reaction time (0 to 24 h) on lignin removal under mild temperature (30 ºC) were studied. In optimal conditions (60.5% ethanol, 24h) the delignification yield reached 42%, where as glucan solubilisation was below 17%. Lignin solubilisation yield was not influenced by the organosolv treatment duration while ethanol concentration favored the delignification up to 60.5% ethanol. The organosolv liquors contained economic interesting ligninderived compounds such as vanillin, ferulic, and coumaric acids. The chemical composition and enzymatic digestibility of the treated biomass from autohydrolysis and organosolv delignification were compared, with the latter presenting an almost 10% higher enzymatic digestibility than the former.
- Cistus ladanifer as a source of chemicals : structural and chemical characterizationPublication . Alves Ferreira Caturra, Júnia Aparecida; Miranda, Isabel; Duarte, Luís C.; Roseiro, Luisa B.; Lourenço, Ana; Quilhó, Teresa; Cardoso, Sofia; Fernandes, M. C.; Carvalheiro, Florbela; Pereira, HelenaABSTRACT: Different biomass fractions of Cistus ladanifer and solid residues from essential oil distilleries were structurally and chemically evaluated. The C. ladanifer biomass fractions showed chemical differences mainly related to extractives (e.g., 10.8% and 53.7% in stems and leaves) and lignin (e.g., 21.2% and 15.4% in stems and leaves). The distillery residues were characterized by 41.5% extractives and 19.3% lignin, and polysaccharide glucose 51.7% and xylose 24.9% of total monosaccharides. The polar extracts had a high content of phenolics and revealed high antioxidant activity (IC50 3.2 μg/mL and 4.7 μg/mL in stems and cysts extracts). The lignin structure showed a predominance of S units in the stem (H:G:S of 1:25:50) and a balanced proportion of H, G, and S units in leaves (H:G:S of 1:1.4:1). The characteristics of C. ladanifer biomass allow several routes of valorization. The high extractive contents point out to the potential use as a source of phytochemicals by applying extraction procedures, while the remaining lignocellulosic material after extraction may be directed towards lignin and carbohydrates applications. The use of C. ladanifer biomass for an extractives-lignocellulosic-based biorefinery therefore represents a potential valorization that may contribute to additional revenue for the present essential oil distilleries.
- Delignification of Cistus ladanifer Biomass by Organosolv and Alkali ProcessesPublication . Alves Ferreira Caturra, Júnia Aparecida; Lourenço, Ana; Morgado, Francisca; Duarte, Luís C.; Roseiro, Luisa B.; Fernandes, M. C.; Pereira, Helena; Carvalheiro, FlorbelaABSTRACT: Residues of Cistus ladanifer obtained after commercial steam distillation for essential oil production were evaluated to produce cellulose enriched solids and added-value lignin-derived compounds. The delignification of extracted (CLRext) and extracted and hydrothermally pretreated biomass (CLRtreat) was studied using two organosolv processes, ethanol/water mixtures (EO), and alkali-catalyzed glycerol (AGO), and by an alkali (sodium hydroxide) process (ASP) under different reaction conditions. The phenolic composition of soluble lignin was determined by capillary zone electrophoresis and by Py-GC/MS, which was also used to establish the monomeric composition of both the delignified solids and isolated lignin. The enzymatic saccharification of the delignified solids was also evaluated. The ASP (4% NaOH, 2 h) lead to both the highest delignification and enzymatic saccharification (87% and 79%, respectively). A delignification of 76% and enzymatic hydrolysis yields of 72% were obtained for AGO (4% NaOH) while EO processes led to lower delignification (maximum lignin removal 29%). The residual lignin in the delignified solids were enriched in G- and H-units, with S-units being preferentially removed. The main phenolics present in the ASP and AGO liquors were vanillic acid and epicatechin, while gallic acid was the main phenolic in the EO liquors. The results showed that C. ladanifer residues can be a biomass source for the production of lignin-derivatives and glucan-rich solids to be further used in bioconversion processes.
- Membrane separation and characterisation of lignin and its derived products obtained by a mild ethanol organosolv treatment of rice strawPublication . Moniz, Patricia; Serralheiro, Cláudia; Matos, Cristina T.; Boeriu, Carmen G.; Frissen, Augustinus E.; Duarte, Luís C.; Roseiro, Luisa B.; Pereira, Helena; Carvalheiro, FlorbelaABSTRACT: An organosolv process using ethanol-water was optimized in order to recover high quality lignin from rice-straw previously pre-treated by autohydrolysis at 210 °C. The results showed a selective and appreciable removal of lignin under very mild conditions and the highest delignification yield occurred at 30 °C. The lignin extracts were characterised using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and 31P-NMR, and two-dimensional heteronuclear single quantum correlation NMR spectroscopy (2D-HSQC NMR), which enabled the identification of low molecular weight lignins with a syringyl/guaiacyl ratio of about 0.74 containing phenolic compounds with potential bioactive properties. In order to separate the target compounds, membrane technology has been used and an enriched extract containing value-added phenolic compounds such as tricin, vanillin, ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid was obtained. High membrane efficiency (around 80%) was obtained for target compounds.