Abstract
The sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) are wood species largely present in the European forest area. The composition and relative variation of the secondary metabolites of chestnut and European beech wood under thermal effect is a little-explored area. The wood material was thermally modified at 170 °C for 3 h using a thermo-vacuum technology. Raw and modified wood extracts were obtained with aqueous extraction techniques in an autoclave, subsequently lyophilized, solubilized in ethyl acetate, and determined by Gas Chromatographic-Mass Spectrometric Analyses (GC-MS). In addition, the volatile compounds were determined by Solid-Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) analyses. As a general statement, the extraction in an autoclave produced a higher number of compounds in the modified chestnut and beech wood compared to unmodified wood material. Beech wood showed low degradation in the compounds after modification. Notably, squalene and ar-tumerone were the main bioactive compounds present in beech wood extractives. Chestnut, conversely, showed a greater degradation after thermo-modification. However, a reduction in chemical compounds in the modified samples was also observed. In this case, the main biologically active compounds detected only in the chestnut control samples were apocynin and ar-tumerone. The recovery of this residual wood material, before energy consumption, could provide a sustainable and environmentally friendly means of obtaining natural chemicals suitable for various industrial applications.
Highlights
In the last decades, with the aid of various investigation techniques, the study of the chemical composition of wood and in particular of its extractives has gained noticeable importance
The extraction in an autoclave produced a higher number of compounds in the modified chestnut and beech wood compared to unmodified wood material
Few literature data have reported the impact of the modification on the extraction potential of volatile and non-volatile compounds for chestnut and beech wood following aqueous extraction, and discrepancies can often be found in them
Summary
With the aid of various investigation techniques, the study of the chemical composition of wood and in particular of its extractives has gained noticeable importance. Thermal modification is a technique, based on the principle according to which wood, subjected to high temperatures, modifies its chemical–physical structure, increasing its durability, dimensional stability and altering its colour; this technique is very effective in improving some wood properties without resorting to the use of chemical additives [4]. It can reduce its mechanical properties [5]. The use of different heating techniques over a wide range of time and temperatures allows a more detailed analysis of the wood concerning its heterogeneous thermal response
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