Organic chemicals from the Chihuahuan Desert

Abstract

A consideration of social, economic, political, and technological factors in the search for new renewable sources of raw materials suggests the exploitation and development of the resources of marginal land regions. Desert regions on the North American continent, which cannot be used for food production, nonetheless, grow a variety of indigenous floral species which offer, in their chemical composition, possibilities for agroindustrial development. Prospects for utilization of the resources of the Chihuahuan Desert for the production of organic raw materials are presented. Research and development projects presently underway in Mexico for the commercialization of plants such as Guayule (Parthenium argentatum), Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata), Candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica), and Palma (Yucca filiera), among others, are documented. Raw materials obtained from such plants are characterized, with emphasis on the identification of components of industrial interest. Current bench and pilot plant activities, as well as process and product development requirements, are detailed.