Formation of Lignin-Carbohydrate Complex Micelles and Pectin/Lignin/Hemicelluloses

Abstract

Using acidic lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) (C-1-A-I, Chap. 2.1) from red pine (Pinus densiflora) wood, Yaku et al. (1979) showed that LCCs can easily form a micelle under appropriate conditions. Gel filtration of C-1-A-1 was carried out on a column of Sephadex G-100 according to the procedure of Suzuki and Sasaki (1971; Fig. 3.1). When the acidic fraction (C-1-A) of the red pine LCC was resolved on Sephadex G-100 into C-1-A-I and C-1-A-II, the former elution band was a single peak. However, a second round of gel filtration of C-1-A-I gave two areas, I and II (Fig. 3.1). According to Suzuki and Sasaki (1971), Cs is the monomolecular concentration, and hence C-Cs is the micelle concentration. Therefore, the tail of part II in Fig. 3.1 corresponds to the LCCs not involved in the formation of a micelle which are dissolved from the micelle, or to the other hydrophobic substances taken up in the micelle. They are, in any case, the smaller molecules of LCCs, or the lignins that have been taken into a hydrophobic area of the micelle and solubilized. The tail analysis demonstrated that the acidic LCC C-1-A-I had the ability to form a micelle. Open image in new window Fig. 3.1 Tail analysis by gel filtration of C-1-A-I from Pinus densiflora LCC on a Sephadex G-100 column. Column, 12 × 300 mm; sample, 160 mg. (Suzuki and Sasaki 1971)