Solubilization of lignin components of food concern from sugarcane bagasse by alkaline hydrolysis

Solubilization of sugarcane bagasse was performed in autoclave by alkaline treatment at 121 degrees C for one hour to follow the release of its main components. The major products extracted were p-coumaric acid, vanillin, ferulic acid, and syringic acid, whose concentrations increased significantly with increasing the concentration of the NaOH solution up to 2.0 M or decreasing the liquid/solid ratio of the raw material to be treated to 50 g/g, respectively. These aromatic compounds could be usefully exploited in food industry because of their antioxidant power; however, a lot of experimental work is needed to optimize this process.