Marie-Curie-Training Site "Molecular Wood Biotechnology"





Antioxidant potential of lignins and lignans


Wood consists mainly of celluloses, hemicelluloses and lignin. Lignin provides mechanical support and protects against pathogens. This function, i.e.maintenance and wood protection was fortified by "wood-extractives", which are generally aromatic compounds with anti-microbial properties. In addition to protection against pathogens, lignin also decreases the fertility of some insects. It has been shown that some synthetic lignin-derivates, such as polymerized ferulic acid, have anti-carcinogenic properties. In plants, however, these compounds seem to play roles as phytohormones. Taken together these observations suggested that lignin has antioxidative and antibiotic effects. However, detailed knowledge about these potentially commercially interesting functions of lignin and of related compounds such as lignins had not been studied in detail. The goal of the project was to characterise the antioxidative and anti-micorbial potential of lignin and other aromatic wood extractives.






The project was funded by the EU.