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Rapid determination of syringyl: Guaiacyl ratios using FT‐Raman spectroscopy
Author(s) -
Sun Lan,
Varanasi Patanjali,
Yang Fan,
Loqué Dominique,
Simmons Blake A.,
Singh Seema
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.24348
Subject(s) - lignin , hardwood , eucalyptus globulus , panicum virgatum , biomass (ecology) , chemistry , lignocellulosic biomass , raman spectroscopy , softwood , pyrolysis , botany , chromatography , analytical chemistry (journal) , bioenergy , eucalyptus , biofuel , organic chemistry , biology , agronomy , microbiology and biotechnology , physics , optics
Lignin composition in relation to its basic phenylpropanoid units, particularly the syringyl to guaiacyl (S/G) ratio, is an important property for biomass characterization and varies greatly as a function of species, genotype and environment. A rapid screening method is highly desirable to assess lignin composition in a large number of samples. We have developed a nondestructive and label‐free Fourier transform Raman (FT‐Raman) spectroscopic method that is capable of rapidly and reliably measuring the S/G ratio with minimal sample preparation. A variety of feedstocks, including hardwood ( Eucalyptus globulus ), softwood ( Pinus radiata ), herbaceous plants ( Zea mays , Panicum virgatum , and Sorghum bicolor ), and a model dicot ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) were measured using this technique and the corresponding S/G ratio was calculated after spectral deconvolution based on the S and G bands identified using a known library of model compounds. The results obtained using this technique were successfully validated by pyrolysis‐gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (pyro‐GC/MS). This technique holds significant promise in the rapid screening of engineered feedstocks as part of a comprehensive screening methodology that is correlated with biomass recalcitrance. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109:647–656. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.