Bioactive phenolic substances in industrially important tree species. Part 2: Knots and stemwood of fir species

Abstract

Abstract Knots, i.e. branch bases inside tree stems, in fir trees contained remarkably higher concentrations of lignans, oligolignans, and juvabiones than the adjacent stemwood. Eight fir species were analysed (Abies sibirica, A. lasiocarpa, A. balsamea, A. alba, A. amabilis, A. veitchii, A. sachalinensis, and A. concolor). The amount of lignans could in some knots exceeds 6% (w/w) and the knots generally contained 20–50 times more lignans than the stemwood. However, there were large variations, not only between species but also even between knots in the same tree. Secoisolariciresinol was the predominant lignan in all knots. The lignans occur in free form in the knots and are easily extracted with polar solvents. In addition to the lignans, oligomeric aromatic substances, mainly sesquineo- and dineolignans, and juvabiones were accumulated in the knotwood. Secoisolariciresinol, but also lariciresinol (Abies alba) and 7-hydroxymatairesinol (A. amabilis), could be extracted in large scale from fir knots at pulp and paper mills. The ready availability of large amounts of lignans and oligolignans now enables research to assess their bioactivity and provide the base for applications in medicine and nutrition, or as natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents in various technical products.