Chemical Composition and Enzymatic Degradability of Xylem and Nonxylem Walls Isolated from Alfalfa Internodes

During plant maturation, degradability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stems declines due to accumulation of highly lignified xylary tissue. Xylem and nonxylem tissues dissected from lower alfalfa internodes were analyzed for cell wall constituents and degradability. Cell walls comprised 740 mg g-1 of xylem and 533 mg g-1 of nonxylem tissues. Xylem tissues contributed about 60% of the cell wall mass in internodes. Xylem walls contained 28% lignin, 4% pectin, 29% hemicellulose, and 39% cellulose as compared to 15% lignin, 25% pectin, 30% hemicellulose, and 30% cellulose in nonxylem walls. Fungal enzymes hydrolyzed 22 and 73% of the structural carbohydrates in xylem and nonxylem walls, respectively. In both cell wall fractions, the release of xylose was 56−90% lower than that of other sugars, indicating that lignin preferentially restricted xylan degradation in secondary walls and xyloglucan degradation in primary walls. Elucidation of lignin−xylose interactions may reveal strategies for improving fiber degradability of alfalfa. Keywords: Medicago sativa; xylem; cell wall; fiber; pectin; cellulose; xylan; xyloglucan; lignin; degradability; digestibility