Association Between Lignin and Carbohydrates in Wood and Other Plant Tissues

Book excerpt: Throughout the world 10 million tons of wood are used every year for paper-making, cellulose preparations, tobacco filters, cloth and dietary supplements. Wood is mainly composed of polysaccharides and lignin which are hydrophilic and hydrophobic respectively. This book describes the academic approaches to native bonds between lignin and the carbohhydrates in wood and other plants. The roles of lignin-carbohydrates complexes are discussed for practical use and wood processing. The authors describe the close relationship between lignin-carbohydrate complexes and biobleaching of kraft pulp, and the residual lignin in kraft pulp and their contribution to benzylated wood foaming. In addition they introduce the artificial lignin-carbohydrate bond formation and an enzymic degradation of lignin-carbohydrate bonds.