STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION OF MISTLETOE PLANTS FROM VARIOUS HOSTS EXHIBITING DIVERSE LIGNIN PHENOTYPES

The aim of the study was to identify the characteristics of the mistletoe lignin, through the qualitative evaluation of the chemical and biochemical modifications. The analysis of lignins by FTIR spectroscopy was accomplished by evaluating the intensity of the absorption bands, determined by the wide number of functional groups present in the structure of these aromatic compounds. The 1700–900 cm –1 domain represents an area in which absorption bands corresponding to the guaiacil and siringil structural units with different substitutions meet. The intensity of the absorption peak is different for the three studied samples. All the investigated samples present a wide central band around the value of 2930 cm -1 , assigned to a methylenic spread vibration (CH2), and a second central band at 2873 cm -1 , assigned to a methylic spread vibration (CH3). In the case of these samples, there can be observed that the spread of the absorption peak is higher for the sample harvested from the birch, decreasing in intensity for the samples harvested from fir and ash, respectively, which can be a proof for including –OH groups at the level of the aromatic rings.