New separation method for terpenoids in byproducts discharged during sugi wood-drying process, and purification of ferruginol

Abstract

In this study, we developed a new method to separate terpenoids from byproducts discharged during sugi wood-drying process by solvent-assisted-distillation (SAD). First, the sample was distillated from a mixed solvent, of water and triethylene glycol. Then, the volatile compounds in the sample were fractionated sequentially according to boiling point. Using SAD, we separated compounds like sesuquiterpenes from the water distillates (WD) fraction by conventional distillation methods. In addition, high boiling point compounds, such as diterpenes, were separated from the triethylene glycol distillates (TGD) fraction. Based on gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis, the main components of the byproducts were sandaracopimarinol (18.74 %), ferruginol (16.45 %), 6,7-dehydroferruginol (7.97 %), abietadiene (6.39 %), and sandaracopimarinal (6.08 %). We purified ferruginol from these sugi wood-drying byproducts using SAD and chromatography; the yield was 5.3 % and the purity was 99.8 %.