Abstract
Lignin is a major component of biomass that is considered a huge energy and carbon reserve. Aside from being the second most abundant polymer in nature, it is a major by- product of pulping, paper and other forestry- based industries with about 70 million tons per year. Due to it being highly biologically recalcitrant, lignin is underutilized and considered a waste product that is solely incinerated for power generation. Establishment of a market for lignin- based, value- added chemicals was a necessity. Because of its renewable nature, availability, and richness in phenolic component, however, it is considered as an attractive alternative for antioxidant activity. In our research, all types of extracted lignin exhibited a value ranging from 2.21 to 11.47 on the AAI assay suggesting high antioxidant activity. Furthermore, special chemical structures such as hydrogen atoms, double bonds between side chain carbons, as well as the presence of methoxyl groups can increase antioxidant activity by 2- 3 folds via means of radical scavenging. Finally, lignin extracted at higher temperature (~95C and greater) exhibited higher ORAC values compared to lignin extracted at lower temperature; ORAC values of 1072.32 to 3119.68 versus 1741.72 to 1745.11, respectively. This paper is going to shed more light on the lignin antioxidant properties, where it stems from, what affects it, as well as future directions and possible interdisciplinary potential improvement.
Highlights
Polymers are a broad class of materials composed from repeating units of smaller molecules referred to as monomers
It was chosen for being a good solvent for the extraction of phenolic fractions, as well as its ability to be recovered by vacuum evaporation leaving only the obtained crude extracts (Radoykova et al, 2013)
An establishment of a market in which lignin value- added products was essential for the sustainability of pulping and forestry- based industries to meet increasing demand
Summary
Polymers are a broad class of materials composed from repeating units of smaller molecules referred to as monomers. Because of their strength, durability, and structure, polymers are utilized across a wide range of industries including pharmaceuticals, coating industry, material manufacturing, as well as in paper and hygiene products (Hulme & Cooper, 2012). Lignin is said to present a promising opportunity to fulfil their rule as a renewable feedstock for bioenergy, chemicals and materials production (Wang et al, 2019). While cellulose and hemicellulose are the polysaccharides that form the cell wall, lignin acts as the cement that holds the lignocellulosic fibers together, providing rigidity to the material
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