Abstract

Analysis on molecular characteristics of wood extractives from Eucalyptus urophydis biomass

Author(s): Lansheng Wang, Wanxi Peng, Zhi Lin, Yueping Tan, Liwen Shi

Eucalyptus urophydis is the main dominant Eucalyptus plantation species in China. However, rich extractives in E. urophydis wood leads to serious processing defects and the extractives is considered as the key negative factors. In order to further utilize the wood resources, the molecular components and leaching characteristics of wood extractives of E. urophydis was investigated. The result showed that: (1) Among three extracting solvents includingmethanol, benzene/ethanol and acetic ether, the optimal extraction time to reach the largest leaching rate of E. urophydis wood extractives was 3h, 3h and 12h, respectively; during the different sequential extractions, benzene/alcohol-methanol-acetic ether displayed the best extracting effect whose leaching rate was up to 12.39%., meanwhile, each sequential extraction displayed gradually increased leaching rate, whose total leaching rate was larger than that of single extraction. (2) The methanol extractives of E. urophydis wood had a main retention time between 20-30 min and contained 47 components includingã-sitosterol (17.41%), (z)-9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester (16.33%),, etc; the acetic ether extractives had amain retention time below 20 min and contained 73 components including cedarwood oil (25.68%), ethyl propionate (22.34%), etc; the benzene/ethanol extractives had amain retention time between 10-20 min and contained 49 components including cyclohexylbenzene (37.56%), 3-methylcyclopentanebenzene (4.06%), etc. (3) The functional analytical results suggested that E. urophydis wood extractives had huge potential in biomedicine industry.