Determination of Ferulic and p-Coumaric Acids in Wheat Straw and the Amounts Released by Mild Acid and Alkaline Peroxide Treatment

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 46; no. 12; pp. 5283 - 5288
• Main Authors: Pan, George X, Bolton, Jennifer L, Leary, Gordon J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01-12-1998
• Subjects: acid treatment; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; alkali treatment; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; bleaching; chemimechanical pulping; Exact sciences and technology; ferulic acid; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; Generalities. Production, biomass, yield. Quality; p-coumaric acid; Paper, paperboard, non wovens; peroxides; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Pulp manufacturing; wheat straw; Wood. Paper. Non wovens; Lignin; Monocotyledones; Waste utilization; Phenolic acid; Acidolysis; Plant fiber; Raw materials; Biomass; Determination; Cinnamic acid(4-hydroxy 3-methoxy); Cereal crop; Straw; Triticum; Gramineae; Angiospermae; Agricultural product; Basic medium; Peroxides; Acid medium; Experimental study; Vegetal waste; Paper industry; Hydrolysis; WHEAT STRAW; Organic chemistry; Chemical modification; Bleaching; Chemical treatment; Spermatophyta; Cinnamic acid(hydroxy)
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf980608f

Ferulic acid (FA) and p-coumaric acid (PCA) are two major phenolic acids in a wide variety of graminaceous plants. Particularly, FA has been implicated in cross-linking cell wall polymers. In the present paper, the variations in FA and PCA contents of wheat straw upon various treatments relevant to the process of producing paper-making fibers were investigated. Wheat straw contained 0.48% FA and 0.42% PCA on the basis of dry material. Among them, of the total FA, 56% was esterified only and 44% was etherified. In contrast, >80% of the PCA was esterified only. In general, the phenolic acids had a high tendency to dissolve in hot water or alkaline peroxide solution, as compared to lignin. Nevertheless, the two-step pulping process, a mild acid wash followed by alkaline peroxide bleaching, removed <40% of FA and <20% of PCA. The phenolic acids remaining attached to the lignin might have an effect on the properties of wheat straw fibers made according to this method. Keywords: Ferulic acid; p-coumaric acid; lignin; wheat straw; alkaline peroxide bleaching