Determination of lignin in the presence of ester-bound substituted cinnamic acids by a modified acetyl bromide procedure

The lignin content of plant materials can be determined spectro-scopically but the presence of ester-bound substituted cinnamic acids in the cell walls of some plant families, particularly the Gramineae, gives elevated values. Pre-treatment with either pyrrolidine : pyridine or 0-5 m sodium methoxide selectively removes the ester-bound acids leaving intact the true lignin. The treatments have been applied to cellulose powder, immature perennial ryegrass stems, oat straw and forage rape stems. The pyrrolidine : pyridine treatment removes a slightly higher proportion of these non-lignin components but the sodium methoxide treatment appears to cause less damage than the heterocyclic bases to other cell wall constituents and is preferred if the residues are to be used for other purposes.