Aromatic and volatile acid intermediates observed during anaerobic metabolism of lignin-derived oligomers

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5676449

Colberg, P J; Young, L Y

Anaerobic enrichment cultures acclimated for 2 years to use a /sup 14/C-labeled, lignin-derived substrate with a molecular weight of 600 as a sole source of carbon were characterized by capillary and packed column gas chromatography. After acclimation, several of the active methanogenic organisms were inhibited with 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid, which suppressed methane formation and enhanced accumulation of a series of metabolic intermediates. Volatile fatty acids levels in 2-bromoethansulfonic acid-amended cultures were 10 times greater than those in the uninhibited, methane-forming organisms with acetate as the predominant component. Furthermore, in the 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid-amended organisms, almost half of the original substrate carbon was metabolized to 10 monaromatic compounds, with the most appreciable quantities accumulated as cinnamic, benzoic, caffeic, vanillic, and ferulic acids. 2-Bromoethanesulfonic acid seemed to effectively block CH/sub 4/ formation in the anaerobic food chain, resulting in the observed buildup of volatile fatty acids and monoaromatic intermediates. Neither fatty acids nor aromatic compounds were detected in the oligolignol substrate before its metabolism, suggesting that these anaerobic organisms have the ability to mediate the cleavage of the ..beta..-aryl-ether bond, the most common intermonomeric linkage in lignin, with the subsequent release of the observed constituent aromatic monomers.

• Research Organization: Stanford Univ., CA
• OSTI ID: 5676449
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 49:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
LIGNIN
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
METHANE
BIOSYNTHESIS
ACETATES
CARBON
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
METABOLISM
METHANOGENIC BACTERIA
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
SUBSTRATES
SULFONIC ACIDS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
ALKANES
BACTERIA
BIOCONVERSION
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DIGESTION
ELEMENTS
HYDROCARBONS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MICROORGANISMS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
POLYSACCHARIDES
PROCESSING
SACCHARIDES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SYNTHESIS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
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