Phenolic components and degradability of cell walls of grass and legume species

Cell walls separated from the aerial parts of Lolium multiflorum, Lolium perenne and Phleum pratense contained bound cis and trans ferulic and p-coumaric acids and diferulic acid which were released from the walls by treatment with sodium hydroxide. The total content of these acids in L. multiflorum ranged from 5 to 16.8 mg/g of wall, the trans-ferulic acid content varying between 2.8 and 8.9 mg/g of wall. In addition, small amounts of p-hydroxybenzoic acid were released from senescent leaf blade plus sheath parts. Cell walls from legume species gave much smaller amounts of the acids, the total content of aerial parts of Trifolium pratense being <0.8 mg/g of wall. The degra dability of the cell walls with a commercial cellulase preparation was determined and the water-soluble phenolic compounds released were estimated by UV absorption spectroscopy.