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Lignin Extracted from Rubber Seed Shell by Ultrasound-Assisted Organosolv Pretreatment

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Abstract

Purpose

Herein, the extraction of lignin from rubber tree residues (Hevea brasiliensis Müll. Arg), particularly from the seed shell, is reported with the aim of providing added value to this plantation.

Methods

The protocol employed consisted of an organosolv extraction using formic or acetic acids and p-TsOH as catalyst assisted by ultrasound, avoiding the use of high temperatures and mineral acids.

Results

22% yield of lignin was obtained from the dried rubber seed shell using the formic acid/p-TsOH combination in comparison with 13% yield obtained with acetic acid/p-TsOH. The extracted lignin was oxidized isolating typical fragments derived from syringyl, guaiacyl and p-hydroxyphenyl units. The lignin was characterized by IR, UV, NMR, TGA and DSC. Moreover, total phenol content and antioxidant activity were also evaluated.

Conclusion

The results exhibited the presence of typical lignin aromatic composition. The lignin obtained by the seed shell could be effectively employed in numerous future applications and the method could be considered as a low-cost acid catalysed process.

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Data Availability

Data available on request from the authors

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Funding

The authors thank CONAHCyT for the funding via the project INFRA-2019–301144.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Química Aplicada, Universidad del Papaloapan, Circuito Central 200, Col. Parque Industrial, Tuxtepec, 68301, Oaxaca, México

    Omar Viñas-Bravo, Lemuel Pérez-Picaso, Mario Valera-Zaragoza, Lidia Gabriela Felipe-Zaragoza & Roxana Martínez-Pascual

  2. CONAHCYT-UNPA, Centro de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad del Papaloapan, Circuito Central 200, Col. Parque Industrial, Tuxtepec, 68301, Oaxaca, México

    Ariana A. Huerta-Heredia

  3. Laboratorio de Microbiología, Hospital General “Dr. Miguel Silva” Calle, Bosque de Eucalipto 415, 58300, Atapaneo, Michoacán, México

    Roseli Marlen García-Cruz

Authors
  1. Omar Viñas-Bravo
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  2. Lemuel Pérez-Picaso
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  3. Mario Valera-Zaragoza
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  4. Ariana A. Huerta-Heredia
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  5. Lidia Gabriela Felipe-Zaragoza
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  6. Roseli Marlen García-Cruz
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  7. Roxana Martínez-Pascual
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study, conception and design. Extraction of lignin and analysis were performed by Omar Viñas-Bravo, Mario Valera-Zaragoza, Lidia Gabriela Felipe-Zaragoza and Roxana Martínez-Pascual. Total phenol content and antioxidant activity were performed by Roseli Marlen García-Cruz and Ariana A. Huerta-Heredia; chemical oxidation of lignin and purification of the crude was accomplished by Lemuel Pérez Picaso and Roxana Martínez Pascual. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Roxana Martínez-Pascual and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Roxana Martínez-Pascual.

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Statement of Novelty

Motivated by the need of increasing the added value of rubber trees, a plantation which drops seeds every year, we have developed a practical protocol for the efficient extraction of lignin from the seed shell of Hevea brasiliensis Müll. Arg. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of lignin isolation from this source. The delignification process comprised an organosolvation pretreatment of the dried and pulverised biomass in the presence of mild organic acids. The extraction was assisted by ultrasonication which allowed the avoidance of harsh conditions, like high temperatures.

Highlights

• The seed shell of Hevea brasiliensis Müll. Arg was used as an unprecedent source of lignin.

• An organosolv protocol assisted with ultrasonication was developed for delignification.

• Mild oxidation of lignin yielded syringaldehyde, p-methoxybenzaldehyde and vanillin.

• Lignin was characterised using NMR, IR, UV, TGA and DSC techniques.

• Phenolic content was evaluated with the Felin-Ciocalteau and DPPH scavenging assays.

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Viñas-Bravo, O., Pérez-Picaso, L., Valera-Zaragoza, M. et al. Lignin Extracted from Rubber Seed Shell by Ultrasound-Assisted Organosolv Pretreatment. Waste Biomass Valor (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-024-02533-0

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