Identification and quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds naturally occuring in wood of selected European and exotic tree species
Wood samples of 25 different trees species both European and exotic were examined using chromatographic method. The species used in research were (in alphabetical order of Latin names): silver fir (Abies alba Mill.), Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.), black alder (Alnus glutinosa Gaertn.), okoumé (Aucoumea klaineana Pierre), silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.), European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.), iroko (Chlorophora excelsa Benth. & Hook), European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), yatoba (Hymnaea sp.), merbau (Intsia bakeri Prain), European larch (Larix decidua Mill.), wenge (Millettia laurentii De Wild.), badi (Nauclea trillesii Merill), Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.), Scots pine (Pinus silvestris L.), common aspen (Populus tremula L.), padouk (Pterocarpus soyauxii Taubert), common oak (Quercus robur L.), northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), crack willow (Salix fragilis L.), ipe (Tabebuja sp.), small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.), samba (Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum.), and field elm (Ulmus carpinifolia Gleditsch). The main aim of this work was to find and identify chemical substances existing in the wood and to investigate quantities of them for every tree species.
During the analysis, 47 different organic substances existing in all kinds of wood were found and 38 of them was able to identify as phenolic compounds using scientifically known formula’s patterns. The best known were for e.g.: furfural, furfuryl alcohol, furanon, cyclohexanone, eugenol, vanillin, vanilic acid, resorcinol, pyrogallol, etc. Moreover, 16 substances were identified existing only in wood of chosen tree species like Norway maple, iroko, European ash, yatoba, common aspen, crack willow, ipe, wenge and Scots pine. Then quantity analysis of all 47 ‘universal’ (it means – existing in wood of every species) substances were made. As the result quantities of every phenolic compounds in wood of every tree species were determined. The research showed that wood of every tree species has its own, individual ‘mixture’ of organic substances existing in specific proportions. Total quantity of phenolic compounds was strongly correlated with wood’s density. Similar connections were found for 22 organic substances existing in the wood including 17 identified phenolic compounds.
Some of these substances are suspected to be responsible for natural wood resistance against destroying fungi so they could be useful in future for practical protection of trees in forestry and industry.
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