In vitro analysis of the monolignol coupling mechanism using dehydrogenative polymerization in the presence of peroxidases and controlled feeding ratios of coniferyl and sinapyl alcohol

► Oxidizability of coniferyl alcohol (CA) and sinapyl alcohol (SA) for the peroxidases were estimated in the order of Coprinus cinereus peroxidase (CiP) > soybean peroxidase (SBP) > horseradish peroidase (HRP), SBP > CiP > HRP, respectively. ► The dehydrogenative polymerisates (DHP) yields were DHP-C (9-72%) ≈ DHP-H (7-69%) > DHP-S (0-27%). ► The average molecular weights of the DHPs were between 3,400 and 5,000 Da, which was only ca. 1/2-1/3 that of native MWL. ► The frequency of the β-O-4 linkage formation, especially with CA, was influenced by type of peroxidases used.