Structural modification of hemicelluloses and lignin based on the biorefinery process with white-rot fungal

On the concept of biorefinery, hemicellulosic and lignin fractions were isolated from white-rot fungal Trametes velutina D10149 biodegraded poplar, and the structural modification was elucidated in detail according to the different incubation duration. Transversal-section Raman images showed that the fiber secondary walls were preferentially degraded, whereas the compound middle lamellae, including the cell corner regions, were mainly intact after 16 weeks incubation. More importantly, lignin and carbohydrates were simultaneously removed within the fiber secondary wall. From wet chemistry analysis, the yields and structural properties for both hemicellulosic and lignin fractions were not significantly altered. The synergistic effect of ligninolytic system finally obviously appeared after 16 weeks incubation, evidenced by the remarkable decrement of hemicellulose and lignin molecular weights. Additionally, the preferential degradation of S units in lignin biomacromolecule was further confirmed by composition analysis of cell wall phenolics and the integration of 2D NMR correlations in the aromatic region.