COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTENT AND DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF BIOMASS CONSTITUENTS OF TWELVE TROPICAL TIMBERS IN SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

Twelve tropical timbers indigenous to the south-east of Nigeria were analysed for their physical properties with results as follows: pH 4.26-6.72, specific gravity (0.16-0.49), charring temperature (64 -116oC) and porosity index (1.08 - 2.24%). Results of quantitative and proximate analysis of the constituent of woods studied includes; tannin (760 mg/100 g - 1240 mg/100 g), alkaloids (4.0-14.6%), flavonoids (2.0 -10.5%), saponin (2.0 - 11%), oxalate (0.28 - 2.92 g/100 g), total acidity (0.09 -0.54 g/100 cm3), cyanogenic glucoside (324-891 mg/100g), moisture content (13-31%), lipid (0.8-7.6%) and ash content (1.0-3.5%,). The qualitative screening was carried out to determine the presence of metabolites in the wood sample. Also, the destructive distillations of the timbers were studied. Results revealed their compositions as follows; wood charcoal (1.50 to 5.00 g), pyroligneous acid (2.0 -3.0 cm3), wood tar (0.1- 0.3 cm3) and wood gas (512 cm3 - 998 cm3). Thus, from the qualitative and quantitative analysis, it was observed that the timbers have medicinal properties which could be harnessed by pharmaceutical industries in drug formation or production while the products obtain from the destructive distillation of the wood can be utilized by other industries for industrial process.