Abstract:
Very little is known about the occurrence of pectin in wood
and it is speculated that between 10 mg g-1 and 40 mg g-1
of wood consists of pectin. The present study aimed to quantify
pectin in eucalyptus wood and to determine the influence
of tree species, yield potential of the site, tree age class and
wood tissue type on its occurrence. Wood was hydrolysed
using the Saeman procedure and the neutral and acidic monosaccharides
quantified with high-performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC). The D-galacturonic acid was the
predominant pectic monosaccharide followed by D-galactose,
L-arabinose and L-rhamnose. Through the addition of all pectic
monosaccharides, it was determined that eucalyptus wood
contained between 15.2 mg g-1 and 25.8 mg g-1 pectin. Wood
tissue type had a major influence on the total pectin content
of the samples. The cambium contained the highest concentration
of pectin, reflecting more active growth. These results
contribute to the understanding of wood biochemistry and
can be useful in the industries producing biofuels or paper.
