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Early attack and subsequent changes produced in an industrial lignin by a fungal laccase and a laccase-mediator system: an analytical approach

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Abstract

An industrial kraft pine lignin (Indulin AT, KL) was characterized and treated in both aqueous-buffered media and dioxane to water, either with a partially purified laccase from Fusarium proliferatum or with the laccase plus 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic-acid (ABTS) as mediator. The changes in the lignin after different incubation periods were analyzed through the application of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV–visible (Vis) spectroscopy and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). At the onset of incubation, laccase-treated samples showed a slight polymerization and strong modifications in UV–Vis spectra. Through Py-GC/MS, a decrease in phenolic and methoxy-bearing pyrolysis products was observed, in contrast to an increase in the more oxidized products. After longer incubation periods (48 h) a substantial polymerization was detected by HPLC, along with a decrease in the guaiacyl (G) units. In contrast, the analysis by HPLC of the samples recovered from the laccase-ABTS system (LMS) showed an intense depolymerization, accompanied by a sizeable loss in G units and a decrease in the methyl and ethyl side-chain phenolic compounds. These results provide conclusive evidence of a rapid initial attack of the industrial lignin by laccase and notable modifications in the KL after longer incubation periods with laccase or LMS.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported partially by the projects PI 2002/064 (Gobierno Autónomo de Canarias) and REN 2002-02732/TECNO (MCT).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, 38206, Spain

    K. González Arzola, F. Perestelo, A. Carnicero & M. A. Falcón

  2. Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, 28871, Spain

    M. E. Arias

  3. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (CSIC), Reina Mercedes, 10, Sevilla, 41012, Spain

    O. Polvillo & F. J. González-Vila

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  1. K. González Arzola
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  2. O. Polvillo
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  3. M. E. Arias
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  4. F. Perestelo
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  5. A. Carnicero
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  6. F. J. González-Vila
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  7. M. A. Falcón
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Correspondence to M. A. Falcón.

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González Arzola, K., Polvillo, O., Arias, M.E. et al. Early attack and subsequent changes produced in an industrial lignin by a fungal laccase and a laccase-mediator system: an analytical approach. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 73, 141–150 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-006-0630-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-006-0630-0

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