Raw data from Chemical Composition of Leaf Biomass in Selected Asparagaceae Species

This data is from a manuscript that will be published; it includes extractables and lignocellulosic compounds, as well as FTIR spectra of lignin and cellulose.
Leaves from seven Asparagaceae species were collected from mature plants and air-dried. Dried material was milled and subjected to successive Soxhlet extraction using organic solvents to quantify total extractives. The extractive-free residue was used for lignocellulosic fractionation to determine cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin contents following standard analytical procedures. Klason lignin and purified cellulose fractions were obtained for spectroscopic analysis.
Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were recorded using an Agilent Cary 630 FTIR spectrometer. For lignin samples, spectra were collected in the 800–1800 cm⁻¹ region, while cellulose spectra were recorded in the 4000–650 cm⁻¹ range, using 30 scans at a resolution of 4 cm⁻¹. Spectra were baseline-corrected and averaged prior to analysis. Band intensities were used to calculate the syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio in lignin and the total crystallinity index (TCI) of cellulose.
Leaf anatomical structure was examined using transverse sections observed under epifluorescence microscopy, combining natural autofluorescence and staining with Congo red and acridine orange to visualize the distribution of lignified and non-lignified tissues.