This review details the structure of lignin and curates information on the characteristics that this polymer must have for each specific use. Lignin is a by-product of the pulp and paper industry and the second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose. Approximately 50 million tons of lignin are produced worldwide annually, of which 98% to 99% is incinerated to produce steam, process energy. Just 1% to 2% of the lignin, derived from the sulfite pulp industry, is used in chemical conversion to produce lignosulfonates. Biorefining is a promising approach to promote the wider use of kraft lignin. However, using kraft lignin to produce high value-added products is a great challenge, due to its complex structure, low reactivity, and low solubility, which are factors that limit the lignin’s large-scale use in biorefineries. Recent studies show that kraft lignin can be used as lignosulfonates and dispersants, technical carbons, transportation fuels, bioplastics, and adhesives, but some technological hurdles must be overcome and several industrial tests must be developed to make these uses viable.

Essential oils from leaves, ripe and unripe fruits of Schinus terebinthifolius growing in Brazil were investigated. Oil content from either ripe or unripe fruits was similar (4.65% and 3.98%, respectively). Sesquiterpenes (from 78.0% to 90.4%) dominated the oil content of both leaves and unripe fruit. The essential oils were tested in vitro for their allelopathic activity on germination and radicle growth of Lactuca sativa and Cucumis sativus at 1,000 and 10,000 µg mL-1concentrations. The three samples tested were more active in inhibiting the radicle growth for L. sativa (88.6-92.4%) than for C. sativus (50.5-84.5%) at 10,000 µg mL-1 concentration

Volatile oils from the leaves of Verbenaceae species Aloysia virgata, Lantana camara, Lantana trifolia, Lantana montevidensis, Lippia brasiliensis and Lippia sericea were investigated for its chemical composition and antibacterial activity. The volatile oils were characterized by a high content of sesquiterpenes of which (E)-caryophyllene (10-35%), germacrene-D (5-46%) and bicyclogermacrene (7-17%) were the major components for all studied species. For the flowers, a higher concentration of monoterpenes was observed for the species L. camara, L. trifolia and L. brasiliensis. These compounds probably act as attractive to specific pollinators. The volatile oils from A. virgata was the most active, exhibiting moderate antimicrobial activity against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli

This study investigates the seasonal variation of three species of Leptospermum (Myrtaceae) grown in Brazil. The chemical composition of the volatile oils of L. flavescens and L. petersonii did not show any significant seasonal variation in the major components, while for Leptospermum madidum subsp. sativum the levels of major constituents of the volatile oils varied with the harvest season. Major fluctuations in the composition of L. madidum subsp. sativum oil included α-pinene (0–15.2%), β-pinene (0.3–18.5%), α-humulene (0.8–30%), 1,8-cineole (0.4–7.1%) and E-caryophyllene (0.4–11.9%). Levels of β-pinene (0.3–5.6%), terpinen-4-ol (4.7–7.2%) and nerolidol (55.1–67.6%) fluctuated seasonally in the L. flavescens oil. In L. petersonii, changes were noted for geranial (29.8–32.8%), citronellal (26.5–33.9%) and neral (22.7–23.5%). The activity of the volatile oils against the tested bacteria differed, depending on season the oils were obtained. In general, the volatile oils were more active against Gram-positive bacteria.