Manuel Cortijo

Pinus pinaster Oleoresin in Plus Trees

Summary The present paper establishes the relationship between certain components of oleoresin and the character of a tree as high producer (plus tree). The composition of the oleoresin (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, neutral diterpenes and resin acids) of Pinus pinaster in plus trees was studied by gaschromatography/mass spectrometry. The main components of the monoterpenes are α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene + β-phellandrene; of the sesquiterpenes β-caryophylene and longifolene; of neutral diterpenes isoabienol, abienol, isopimaral, pimaral, 11,13-labdien-8-ol and of resin acids levopimaric + palustric, neoabietic, abietic, isopimaric, pimaric, dehydroabietic, sandaracopimaric and 7,13,15 abietatrienoic acid. The components which enable us to distinguish between plus and control trees are myrcene and noracid 1 at a level of significance of 1%, and abienol and dehydroabietic acid at 5%. The composition of diterpenes permits a certain approach to distinguish between control and plus trees.

Seasonal variations of lipophilic compounds in needles of two chemotypes of Pinus pinaster Ait.

Variation of monoterpene, sesquiterpene, neutral diterpene, and fatty and resin acid composition was determined in adult needles of two chemotypes of Pinus pinaster Ait., sampled in two different seasons: summer and winter. Throughout the year, the terpenic and fatty acid composition of adult needles of P. pinaster showed a seasonal variation, both at individual and at global level. These seasonal variations in distribution pattern were not produced in the same way in the needles of the two chemotypes studied. Therefore, we consider that secondary metabolism compounds do not present the same sensitivity to environmental conditions, and genetically different trees have different responses to these environmental conditions.

Fatty and resin acids of spanishpinus pinaster Ait. Subspecies

The qualitative and quantitative composition of the acid fraction of wood extractives from three SpanishPinus pinaster Ait. subspecies (Atlantic, mountain Mediterranean and plain Mediterranean) were studied. Seven samples of each subspecies were prepared according to Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Standards, extracted with petroleum ether (b.p. 40–60°C) in a Soxhlet apparatus and saponified with ethanolic 0.4N potassium hydroxide. The acid fraction was methylated with diazomethane and studied by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The major constituents found were palmitic, oleic and linoleic among the fatty acids and pimaric, sandaracopimaric, levopimaric, isopimaric, abietic and dehydroabietic among the resin acids. Neoabietic and palustric acids were not found. Variations in the quantitative composition of the acid fraction enable us to distinguish the three subspecies. Main quantitative differences are found between the Atlantic subspecies and the two Mediterranean subspecies.

Acid fraction evolution in wood extractives ofPinus pinaster ait

The changes in the acid fraction of wood extracts fromPinus pinaster Ait. have been studied. Qualitative and quantitative compositions have been determined in samples that were just extracted and then seven and twelve months after extraction. Samples were prepared according to Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry Standards, extracted with petroleum ether (b.p. 40–60°C) in a Soxhlet apparatus and saponified with ethanolic 0.4N potassium hydroxide. The acid fraction was methylated with diazomethane, and its qualitative composition was determined by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The quantitative composition was determined by gas chromatography with a DEGS packed column. An increase was observed in the percentage of palmitic, oleic, pimaric and dehydroabietic acids, and there was a decrease in the percentage of linoleic and abietic acids. No variation was observed in extract composition after seven and twelve months.