Determination of pectin content of eucalyptus wood

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.