Abstract
The presence of a stable radical species in both fresh straw and that which had been submerged in aerated water for up to six months has been demonstrated using electron paramagnetic (spin) resonance (EPR or ESR) spectroscopy. A radical signal was associated also with material shown to contain straw lignin markers, which was leached from the rotting straw into surrounding water. Fresh straw treated with strong alkali to remove phenolics did not show a radical signal. The possible effect of a dissolved stable free radical is discussed in relation to the antagonistic effect of rotting straw on algal and cyanobacterial growth in water to which straw has been added as a nuisance algal control agent.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Atherton, N. M., Hendry, G. A. F., Mobius, K. Rohrer, M., andTorring, J. T. 1993. A free radical ubiquitously associated with senescence in plants: Evidence for a quinone.Free Radic. Res. Commun. 19:297–301.
Barrett, P. R. F., Curnow, J., andLittlejohn, J. W. 1996. The control of diatom and cyanobacterial blooms in reservoirs using barley straw.Hydrobiologia, In press.
Boon, J. J. 1989. An introduction to pyrolysis mass spectrometry of lignocellulosic material: Case studies on barley straw, corn stem andAgropyron, pp. 25–49,in A. Chesson and E. R. Orskov (eds.). Physico-Chemical Characterisation of Plant Residues for Industrial and Feed Use. Elsevier Applied Science, London.
Crawford, D. L., Pometto, A. L., III, andCrawford, R. L. 1983. Lignin degradation byStreptomyces viridosporus: Isolation and characterisation of a new polymeric lignin degradation intermediate.Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 45:898–904.
Everall, N. C., andLees, D. R. 1996. The use of barley straw to control general and blue-green algal growth in a Derbyshire reservoir.Wat. Res. 30:269–276.
Halliwell, B., Murcia, M. A., Chirico, S., andAruoma, O. I. 1995. Free radicals and antioxidants in food and in vivo: What they do and how they work.Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 35:7–20.
Hendry, G. A. F., Atherton, N. M., Seel, W., andLeprince, O. 1994. The occurrence of a stable quinone radical accumulating in vivo during natural and induced senescence in a range of plants.Proc. R. Soc. Edinb. 102B:501–503.
Jackson, M. G. 1977. Review Article: The alkali treatment of straws.Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 2:105–130.
Kivaisi, A. K., Op den Camp, H. J. M., Lubberding, H. J., Boon, J. J., andVogels, G. D. 1990. Generation of soluble lignin-derived compounds during degradation of barley straw in artificial rumen reactor.Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 33:93–98.
Ludwig, C. H. 1971. Magnetic resonance spectra. p. 328,in K. V. Sarkanen and C. H. Ludwig (eds.). Lignins Occurrence, Formation, Structure and Reactions. Wiley Interscience, New York.
Newman, J. R., andBarrett, P. R. F. 1993. Control ofMicrocystis aeruginosa by decomposing barley straw.J. Aq. Plant Manage. 31:203–206.
Nordkvist, E., Graham, H., andAman, P. 1989. Soluble lignin complexes isolated from wheat straw (Triticum arvense) and red clover (Trifolium pratense) stems by an in-vitro method.J. Sci. Food Agric. 48:311–321.
Partidge, R., Symonds, M. C. R., andWyatt, J. L. 1993. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic studies of organic radicals formed in bone during fracture.J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans. 89:1285–1286.
Peng, A., Yang, C., Rui, H., andLi, H. 1992. Study on the pathogenic factors of Kashin-Beck disease.J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 35:79–90.
Pillinger, J. M. 1993. Algal control by barley straw: An interdisciplinary study, PhD thesis. Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.
Pillinger, J. M., Cooper, J. A., Ridge, I., andBarrett, P. R. F. 1992. Barley straw as an inhibitor of algal growth III: The role of fungal decomposition.J. Appl. Phycol. 4:353–355.
Pillinger, J. M., Cooper, J. A., andRidge, I. 1994. Role of phenolic compounds in the antialgal activity of barley straw.J. Chem. Ecol. 20:1557–1569.
Pillinger, J. M., Gilmour, I., andRidge, I. 1995. Comparison of the antialgal activity of brown-rotted and white-rotted wood and in situ analysis of lignin.J. Chem. Ecol. 21:1113–1125.
Ridge, I., andBarrett, P. R. F. 1992. Algal control with barley straw.Aspects Appl. Biol. 29:457–462.
Saiz-Jimenez, C., andShafizadeh, F. 1985. Electron spin resonance spectrometry of fungal melanins.Soil Sci. 139:319–325.
Senesi, N., Miano, T. M., andMartin, J. P. 1987. Elemental, functional infrared and free radical characterisation of humic acid-type fungal polymers (melanins)Biol. Fertil. Soils 5:120–125.
Steelink, C. 1966. Stable free radicals in lignin and lignin oxidation products, pp. 51–64,in J. Marton (ed.). Lignin, Structure and Reactions, Advances in Chemistry Series No. 59. American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C.
Suzuki, H., Tochikura, T. S., Iiyama, K., Yamazaki, S., Yamamoto, N., andToda, S. 1989. Lignosulfonate, a water solubilised lignin from the waste liquor of the pulping process, inhibits the infectivity and cytopathic effects of human immunodeficiency virus in vivo.Agric. Biol. Chem. 53:3369–3372.
Suzuki, H., Iiyama, K., Yoshida, O., Yamazaki, S., Yamamoto, N., andToda, S. 1990. Structural characterisation of the immunoactive and antiviral water solubilised lignin in an extract of the culture medium ofLentinus edodes mycelium (LEM).Agric. Biol. Chem. 54:479–487.
Tolin, G., andSteelink, C. 1966. Biological polymers related to catechol: Electron paramagnetic resonance and infrared studies of melanin, tannin, lignin, humic acid and hydroxyquinones.Biochem. Biophys. Acta 112:377–379.
Zimmerman, W., andBroda, P. 1989. Utilisation of lignocellulose from barley straw by actinomycetes.Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 30:103–109.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pillinger, J.M., Cooper, J.A. & Harding, C.J. Stable free radical from plant litter decomposing in water. J Chem Ecol 22, 1001–1011 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02029950
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02029950