The Use of a Molybdenum Polyoxometalated Compound to Increase the Amount of Extractives from Wood Wastes

The treatment of wood wastes of Castanea sativa L., Quercus frainetto, Larix decidua, and Paulownia tomentosa S. in autoclave in the presence of micrometric crystals of H3PMo12O40 showed an impressive increase of the amount of extractives. The extractives were mainly constituted of insoluble compounds that were analyzed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after acetylation. The GC-MS analysis of the chloroform soluble fraction of the extractives obtained from sativa showed the presence of methyl hexadecanoate and octadecanoic acid, that of the extractives of frainetto showed the presence of octadecanal and some long chain hydrocarbons. decidua extracts showed the presence of large amounts of sesamin, while the extractives of P tomentosa revealed the presence of 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxycimmanaldehyde, and relevant amounts of long chain hydrocarbons. The insoluble fraction showed the presence of relevant amounts of several carbohydrates and, in the case of C. sativa, of inositol

Local Small Ruminant Grazing in the Monti Foy Area (Italy): The Relationship Between Grassland Biodiversity Maintenance and Added-Value Dairy Products

The literature indicates that grazing small ruminants, when adequately managed, contributes to grassland biodiversity maintenance. On the other hand, milk and cheese fromgrazing animals show higher nutritional and aromatic quality than those fromstall-fed animals. The relationship between the two issues has rarely been addressed. This article provides information for a discussion of this relationship. First, two case studies are reported. Local breeds of small ruminants fed by grazing on pastures within the Special Area of Conservation “Monti Foy” in the Northwestern Basilicata region (Italy), with a stocking rate of 4.0 LU ha−1 year−1, showed the best effectiveness for the maintenance of grassland botanical biodiversity. Milk and cheese from pasture-fed goats showed higher contents of beneficial fatty acids, phenols, and vitamins A and E; higher degree of antioxidant protection; and richer volatile compound profiles, in particular for terpenes content. Finally, some recommendations for the management of grazing systems in similar mountain areas are offered, including a viable approach for land managers to preserve the grassland biodiversity of pastures and provide high-quality products that are valuable both for their nutritional quality and for their contribution to the economic sustainability of mountain communities

Extraction methods and their influence on yield when extracting thermo-vacuum-modified chestnut wood

Improvements in the yield and solubility of chestnut wood extractives, by using different extraction methods and molybdenum catalysts as support, have rarely been reported in literature. Many studies focus on the different parts of trees, except for the chemical characteristics of the remaining extractives achieved from thermally modified (THM) chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill) wood. This research seeks to better understand the effects of extraction techniques and catalysts on the yield and solubility of extractives. GC-MS analysis of the chloroform soluble and insoluble fractions was also used. Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) 110◦C, Soxhlet, and autoclave extraction techniques were used to obtain extractives from untreated and thermally modified (THM) chestnut wood (170◦C for 3 h). Ethanol/H2O, ethanol/toluene, and water were the solvents used for each technique. A polyoxometalate compound (H3PMo12O40 ) and MoO3 supported on silica were used as catalysts. The THM induced a change in the wood’s surface color (∆E = 21.5) and an increase in mass loss (5.9%), while the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) was reduced by 17.4% compared to the control wood. The yields of the extractives and their solubility were always higher in THM and mainly used ASE as the technique. GC-MS analysis of the extractives, without catalyst support, showed different results for each extraction technique and type of wood (untreated and THM). Ultimately, the amount of extractive compound dissolved in each solvent will differ, and the choice of extraction technique will depend on the intended final application of the extracted chemical product

Influence of thermo-vacuum treatment on thermal degradation of various wood species

Solid wood has a certain amount of resistance to fire exposure. Recently, there is also great interest in characterization of the thermal behaviour of treated wood due to increasing demand of such products within the perspective of sustainability of environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate and predict the thermal decomposition process of samples from different wood species, Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.), common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) and Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.), so that such data can be used for enhanced design of wood products for more effective and better utilization in different applications. Spruce and ash samples were treated at a temperature of 190 °C for 2 h while Turkey oak specimens were steamed at a temperature of 110 °C for 24 h before they were thermally treated at a temperature of 160 °C for 3 h. A thermo-gravimetric analysis of the samples highlighted intraspecific differences in mass loss and the stage of thermal degradation between treated and untreated specimens. The degradation of the wood was characterized by twofold reaction stages, with an exception of Norway spruce samples, which exhibited a one-stage reaction. In addition, thermal treatments affected chemical composition of wood. The obtained results will be helpful in determining the applicability of these materials according to their thermal degradation properties

Effect of thermo wood modification and polyoxometalates catalysts on yield and extractives composition

2017 - 2018The aims of this work were to investigate the impact of the heat treatment on the chemical composition (holocellulose, lignin and extractives) of different wood species, to characterise and quantify wood extractives and their composition by GC-MS analysis, to explore the effect of thermo vacuum process on the extractives content and composition, and to use molybdenum catalysts in order to increase the amount of recoverable extractives. The results showed that there was an increase in the amount of lignin and extractives, and a decrease in the amount of holocellulose following thermo treatment, in the treatment temperature function. Autoclave treatment of wood with water in the presence of some molybdenum catalysts can increase the amount of extracts, mostly in the presence of microcrystalline H3PMo12O40, but it reduces solubility. Soxhlet extraction of wood with ethanol/toluene mixture in the presence of H3PMo12O40 increased the amount of extractives and their solubility in chloroform, while in the presence of MoO3 only the solubility of extractives increased. GC-MS analysis of insoluble fraction showed the presence of myo-inositol and some simple carbohydrates, mainly ribose, xylose and glucose. GC-MS analysis of soluble fraction showed the presence of long-chain acids and fatty acid esters of 10-20 carbon atoms, mainly decanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, and octadecanoic acid, which can be a source of fatty acids for biodiesel production. Following the heat treatment and the use of molybdenum catalysts, the increased amount of extractives allowed to obtain valuable amounts of biological and pharmaceutical active compounds. Furthermore, a new system for the complete separation of triglycerides and fatty acids of wood extractives has been developed: two-dimensional TLC through esterification with NaOCH3 and the use of AgNO3-TLC. [edited by Author]XXXI cicl

The Use of a Molybdenum Polyoxometalated Compound to Increase the Amount of Extractives from Wood Wastes

The treatment of wood wastes of Castanea sativa L., Quercus frainetto, Larix decidua, and Paulownia tomentosa S. in autoclave in the presence of micrometric crystals of H3PMo12O40 showed an impressive increase of the amount of extractives. The extractives were mainly constituted of insoluble compounds that were analyzed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after acetylation. The GC-MS analysis of the chloroform soluble fraction of the extractives obtained from sativa showed the presence of methyl hexadecanoate and octadecanoic acid, that of the extractives of frainetto showed the presence of octadecanal and some long chain hydrocarbons. decidua extracts showed the presence of large amounts of sesamin, while the extractives of P tomentosa revealed the presence of 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxycimmanaldehyde, and relevant amounts of long chain hydrocarbons. The insoluble fraction showed the presence of relevant amounts of several carbohydrates and, in the case of C. sativa, of inositol

Volatile Organic Compounds from Orchis Species Found in Basilicata (Southern Italy)

This study is part of a project devoted to determining the scent of all the orchid species present in Basilicata. All the analyses were performed by using the solid-phase microextraction technique coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The scent of eight species belonging to the Orchis genus was investigated. In the case of O. anthropophora, caryophyllene, tetradecanal and hexadecanal were the main components of the aroma; in O. purpurea, 3,5-dimethoxytoluene and elemicin were found; in O. italica, caryophyllene and 4-(3-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenyl)butan-2-one were found; in O. pauciflora, linalool and 1,4-dimethoxybenzene were found; in O. mascula, linalool was found; in O. quadripunctata, penta- and heptadecane were found; in O. provincialis, β-farnesene and farnesal were found; and in O. pallens, curcumene was the main product

Effect of heat treatment on wood chemical composition, extraction yield and quality of the extractives of some wood species by the use of molybdenum catalysts

The effect of heat treatment and the presence of some molybdenum catalysts on the amount of extractives in Populus nigra, Larix decidua, Paulownia tomentosa, Castanea sativa and Quercus frainetto wood were studied. There are an increase in the amount of lignin and extractives and a decrease in the amount of holocellulose following thermo-treatment, in the treatment temperature range. Autoclave treatment of wood with water in the presence of some molybdenum catalysts can increase the amount of extracts, but it reduces solubility. Soxhlet extraction of wood with ethanol/toluene mixture in the presence of H3PMo12O40 increases the amount of extractives and their solubility in chloroform, while in the presence of MoO3 only the solubility of extractives increases. GC–MS analysis of insoluble fraction showed the presence of myo-inositol and some simple carbohydrates, mainly ribose, xylose and glucose. GC–MS analysis of soluble fraction showed the presence of long-chain acids and fatty acid esters of 10–20 carbon atoms, mainly decanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid and octadecanoic acid, which can be a source of fatty acids for biodiesel production