A COMPARISON OF THE INSOLUBLE RESIDUES PRODUCED BY THE KLASON LIGNIN AND ACID DETERGENT LIGNIN PROCEDURES

Two methods-Klason lignin (KL) and acid detergent lignin (ADL)-for determining lignin concentration in plants were compared using stem material from lucerne (Medicago sativa L), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L), at three stages of maturity, and leaf samples from lucerne and cocksfoot. For all forages, KL values were higher than ADL values. Lucerne samples, which had crude protein levels twice that of the grass species, had KL values that were only 30-40% higher than ADL values; in grasses, KL values were 200-300% greater than ADL values. The addition of nitrogenous materials (bovine serum albumin, lysine, and ammonium sulfate) to commercial xylan and cellulose did not result in additional KL residue. Pyrolysis-GC-MS revealed that both residues appeared to be similar to the orginal plant lignin and did not appear to be contaminated with carbohydrate or protein. The higher values for grass KL residues were not due to protein contamination or incomplete hydrolysis of carbohydrates, but were more likely due to the solubilization of lignin components by the ADL treatment. KL values may give a more accurate quantification of the total lignin within forage plants.