Abstract
Granulated cork was submitted to subcritical water extraction/hydrolysis in a semi-continuous reactor at temperatures in the range of 120–200 °C and with a constant pressure of 100 bar. The influence of temperature on the composition of the cork extracts obtained was assessed—namely, their content of carbohydrates and phenolics. The extraction yield increased with the temperature, and this was associated with the decrease in the dielectric constant of water and the increase in its ionic product. Extracts composed of up to 36% phenolics were obtained at temperatures of up to 120 °C, with an antioxidant activity only two times lower than that of pure gallic acid, but in low amounts. Assays at higher temperatures generated extracts richer in carbohydrates and with a phenolics content of ca. 20 wt.% in comparatively far higher amounts. Neither the amount of suberin nor its structure were affected by the subcritical water treatment.
Highlights
IntroductionContinuous layer that envelops the stems of certain species of oak trees in Southern
Cork is a thick, continuous layer that envelops the stems of certain species of oak trees in SouthernEurope and Northern Africa, serving as a protective layer between the tree’s living cells and the environment
This is within the range reported by other authors [15,16,17], the suberin content has been shown to vary significantly in raw unprocessed cork samples, even those collected from the same tree [1,15,16]
Summary
Continuous layer that envelops the stems of certain species of oak trees in Southern. Europe and Northern Africa, serving as a protective layer between the tree’s living cells and the environment. Some the unique characteristics of cork are its low density, low permeability to both gases and liquids, elastic compression and recovery, low thermal and electrical conductivity, acoustic insulation, resistance to abrasion, fire retardant qualities, and hypoallergenic nature. These properties have made cork an attractive material for a wide range of sectors, from building construction to aeronautics. About 70% of all the cork used finds application in the wine industry in the form of cork stoppers [2]
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