Structural features of alternative lignin monomers associated with improved digestibility of artificially lignified maize cell walls.

Plant biologists are seeking new approaches for modifying lignin to improve the digestion and utilization of structural polysaccharides in crop cultivars for the production of biofuels, biochemicals, and livestock. To identify promising targets for lignin bioengineering, we artificially lignified maize (Zea mays L.) cell walls with normal monolignols plus 21 structurally diverse alternative monomers to assess their suitability for lignification and for improving fiber digestibility.

Direct versus Sequential Analysis of Procyanidin- and Prodelphinidin-Based Condensed Tannins by the HCl-Butanol-Acetone-Iron Assay.

In this study, we optimized the HCl-butanol-acetone-iron (HBAI) assay for the analysis of B-linked procyanidin (PC) and prodelphinidin (PD) condensed tannins (CTs) by direct analysis of whole tissue and sequential analysis of acetone-water extracts and insoluble residues prepared from forage, woody plant, food, and food byproduct samples. Yields of anthocyanidins (cyanidin and delphinidin) were optimized by heating ≤0.25 mg mL CT standards, 1 mg mL tissue, or 1-2 mg mL acetone-water fractioned tissue for 3 h at 70 °C in medium containing 5% concentrated HCl, 6.

Cell culture systems: invaluable tools to investigate lignin formation and cell wall properties.

Although the use of cell culture systems in Plant Biology and Biotechnology has been limited compared to other areas of Life Sciences, plant cell cultures capable of lignifying on demand have proven invaluable in unravelling the lignification process and its impact on biomass utilization. Inducible cell cultures have enabled researchers to decipher multiple levels of cellular control used in and between plant cells to define the spatiotemporal deposition, composition, structure, and quantity of lignin. Artificially lignified cell cultures have also been used to determine the effects of lignin composition on the susceptibility of cell walls to chemical treatments, and digestion by rumen microflora or fungal enzymes.

Replacing alfalfa silage with tannin-containing birdsfoot trefoil silage in total mixed rations for lactating dairy cows.

Two lactation trials were conducted comparing the feeding value of silages made from birdsfoot trefoil (BFT, Lotus corniculatus L.) that had been selected for low (BFTL), medium (BFTM), and high (BFTH) levels of condensed tannins (CT) to an alfalfa silage (AS) when fed as the principal forage in total mixed rations. Diets also included corn silage, high-moisture shelled corn, soybean meal, soy hulls, and supplemental fat.

Monolignol ferulate conjugates are naturally incorporated into plant lignins.

Angiosperms represent most of the terrestrial plants and are the primary research focus for the conversion of biomass to liquid fuels and coproducts. Lignin limits our access to fibers and represents a large fraction of the chemical energy stored in plant cell walls. Recently, the incorporation of monolignol ferulates into lignin polymers was accomplished via the engineering of an exotic transferase into commercially relevant poplar.