Antimicrobial activity of heartwood components of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) against several fungi and bacteria

Methanol extract of sawdust of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) heartwood was fractionated with toluene and n-hexane to give solvent-soluble and solvent-insoluble fractions. The n-hexane-soluble fraction showed the most inhibition activity among the fractions against phytopathogenic microorganisms, namely Fusarium oxysporum, Phytophthora capsici, Pythium splendens, and Ralstonia solanacearum. Sandaracopimarinol and ferruginol, isolated from the n-hexane-soluble fraction, showed moderate antifungal activity against the three fungi and strong antibacterial activity against R. solanacearum. The content of sandaracopimarinol (7.07 g/kg based on the dried sawdust) in the heartwood was about twice that of ferruginol. Sandaracopimarinol and ferruginol strongly inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria but did not show inhibitory action against Gram-negative bacteria except for R. solanacearum. The antibacterial effect of sandaracopimarinol was first found in the present study and was stronger than that of ferruginol.     

Variation of extractives content in heartwood and sapwood of Eucalyptus globulus trees

The variation in extractives content in sapwood and heartwood was investigated among 12 trees in each of four commercial plantations of Eucalyptus globulus in central Portugal. The study was carried out at the 15% height level and extractions used successively dichloromethane, ethanol and water. At all sites, heartwood had significantly more extractives than sapwood, on average 3.8 and 2.4%, respectively. Most extractives consisted of ethanol soluble material (on average 52% of total extractives). Among the sites, there was a statistically significant difference in the content of extractives but the most important source of variation was the within-tree variation between sapwood and heartwood. Differences in the content of extractives were also observed among trees. A strong relation between extractives content and heartwood proportion was found. The potential loss of pulp yield and problems associated with accumulation of extractives are directly related to the heartwood proportion in the eucalypt stems. Forest management should take into account heartwood development and selection for minimising heartwood extractives.     

Characterization of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) heartwood extractives: identification of resveratrol and piceatannol

Robinia pseudoacacia L. heartwood is characterized by a very high natural durability. However, a significant difference was observed between the mature and juvenile heartwood, the latter presenting less durability against fungi decay, which could be attributed to lower extractive content. In order to elucidate this idea, extractives from mature and juvenile heartwoods of black locust trees were investigated. Results showed that extractive and phenolic contents were higher in mature than in juvenile heartwoods. The identification of phenolic compounds by UPLC–DAD–MS/MS revealed, for the first time, the presence of resveratrol and piceatannol. These two stilbenes as well as the flavonoid dihydrorobinetin were present at the highest level in mature heartwood, and as they are known antifungals, they could account for the great durability of mature heartwood. The stilbenes were detected in significant amounts particularly in mature heartwood where piceatannol reached a level tenfold higher than that reported for Japanese knotweed roots, the primary natural source of these stilbenes, whereas resveratrol level was comparable with reported values. As resveratrol and piceatannol receive increasing demand for nutraceutical, cosmetic and, possibly, pharmaceutical purposes, due to their beneficial health effects, this study underlines the use of R. pseudoacacia as a promising sustainable and economical source of resveratrol and piceatannol.     

Absence of bacteria from the heartwood of eucalypt species

Bacteria were not detected in clear or decaying heartwood from four eucalypt species. This may be associated with an observed intolerance of sapwood isolates to the highly acidic conditions and abundant extractives in the heartwoods.     

The influence of heartwood on the pulping properties of Acacia melanoxylon wood

The pulping wood quality of Acacia melanoxylon was evaluated in relation to the presence of heartwood. The sapwood and heartwood from 20 trees from four sites in Portugal were evaluated separately at 5% stem height level in terms of chemical composition and kraft pulping aptitude. Heartwood had more extractives than sapwood ranging from 7.4% to 9.5% and from 4.0% to 4.2%, respectively, and with a heartwood-to-sapwood ratio for extractives ranging from 1.9 to 2.3. The major component of heartwood extractives was made up of ethanol-soluble compounds (70% of total extractives). Lignin content was similar in sapwood and heartwood (21.5% and 20.7%, respectively) as well as the sugar composition. Site did not influence the chemical composition. Pulping heartwood differed from sapwood in chemical and optical terms: lower values of pulp yield (53% vs 56% respectively), higher kappa number (11 vs. 7), and lower brightness (28% vs 49%). Acacia melanoxylon wood showed an overall good pulping aptitude, but the presence of heartwood should be taken into account because it decreases the raw-material quality for pulping. Heartwood content should therefore be considered as a quality variable when using A. melanoxylon wood in pulp industries     

Modeling of sapwood and heartwood delignification kinetics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus globulus</Emphasis> using consecutive and simultaneous approaches

Eucalyptus globulus sapwood and heartwood were delignified at 130°, 150°, or 170°C by kraft pulping. Pulp yields of heartwood were lower than those of sapwood (46.5% vs. 50.4% at 170°C). Delignification was modeled using consecutive and simultaneous kinetic models. The modeling was similar for heartwood and sapwood, and either approach could be used, with both yielding good correlations between experimental and model data. The consecutive model identified two delignification phases with similar reaction rates and activation energies for heartwood and sapwood at 150° and 170°C. At 130°C only one phase was identified. Three reactive types of lignin fractions were identified using the simultaneous model, without differences between heartwood and sapwood. Their reaction rates were 0.152, 0.138, and 0.003 min⁻¹ at 170°C, and the activation energies were 132, 119, and 102 kJ.mol⁻¹. The presence of heartwood did not influence the kinetic development of delignification. The negative impact of heartwood in pulping is related to the higher content of extractives (9.8% vs. 3.9% in heartwood and sapwood) and to their influence on the process, namely in the heating-totemperature phase when a substantial mass loss occurs (30% vs. 20% for heartwood and sapwood).     

Cesium absorption through bark of Japanese cedar (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomeria japonica</Emphasis>)

Absorption of radiocesium (¹³⁷Cs and ¹³⁴Cs) through bark, and its subsequent translocation into wood and needles, has been suggested as a potential source of tree contamination, but the process is not well understood. Field experiments were conducted to confirm whether Cs could enter a Japanese cedar tree through the bark and how Cs moves within a tree. Stable Cs (¹³³Cs) was applied to the bark at 1.2-m height on 10- and 26-year-old Japanese cedars. The ¹³³Cs concentrations were determined in the bark, sapwood, and heartwood (for 26-year-old cedar only) of stem disks from several heights, as well as in current-year needles from the canopy. The ¹³³Cs concentrations were considerably higher in the sapwood and heartwood of stem disks from 1.2-m height in treated trees than in untreated trees, suggesting that ¹³³Cs penetrated the bark to enter the wood. The average ¹³³Cs concentrations were higher in the heartwood than the sapwood, indicating ¹³³Cs accumulation in the heartwood. High ¹³³Cs concentrations in the needles of treated trees implied acropetal movement of ¹³³Cs to actively growing organs. Our results demonstrate that Cs can enter Japanese cedar trees through the bark and that Cs is transported radially to the heartwood and vertically to the apex.     

Profile of bordered pit aspiration in Cryptomeria japonica using confocal laser scanning microscopy: pit aspiration and heartwood color

Nine trees of Cryptomeria japonica from six elite tree clones with a broad range of heartwood colors were selected. The profiles of pit aspiration percentage (ASP) of earlywood and latewood from pith to bark for green and air-dry conditions were determined to study the relationship between heartwood color and pit aspiration. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) observations showed that the ASP of earlywood was low in sapwood and high in heartwood in the green condition. Pit aspiration increased in intermediate wood when compared with sapwood. On the other hand, latewood pits did not aspirate during heartwood formation. Comparing the air-dry condition with the green condition, sapwood pits aspirated during drying in both earlywood and latewood; however, there was no significant difference in pit aspiration of heartwood. There was no significant difference between samples with red and black heartwoods for ASP. The difference in ASP between individual trees was larger than that by heartwood color. The general advantage of CLSM over light microscopy is that serial optical sections along the Z axis can be obtained for any moisture condition, without the need for thin sectioning or embedding.     

Acetaldehyde emission from wood induced by the addition of ethanol

A mechanism of acetaldehyde emission from wood induced by the addition of ethanol was proposed. It is known that acetaldehyde generation is due to the oxidation of ethanol via a metabolic process involving alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in living bodies. However, it remains unclear whether the enzymatic alcohol oxidation is applicable to wood. We investigated possible factors of wood parts, conditioning, storage sites, and heating and sterilization treatments on acetaldehyde emission using the syringe method and HPLC analysis. We reconfirmed that acetaldehyde emission was observed only when ethanol was added to wood. Greater acetaldehyde emissions were obtained in heartwood compared to sapwood in both Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) and Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl.) specimens. In addition, an acetaldehyde conversion rate of 1–2 mol% was determined in green cedar heartwood samples, while, conversely, air-dried cedar heartwood samples showed 4–5 mol%. Ethylene oxide gas sterilization had the effect of decreasing acetaldehyde emission on air-dried wood, but not on green wood. Autoclave sterilization could completely prevent acetaldehyde emissions from both green and air-dried wood. These results suggested that an original ADH in wood and an attached ADH from the outside via microorganisms onto wood were assumed to be the primary causes of acetaldehyde emissions from wood induced by the addition of ethanol.     

Fate and influence of western red cedar extractives in mechanical pulping

The methanol extractives from western red cedar mechanical pulps were found to be radically different in composition to the extractives obtained from the heartwood. The major heartwood extractive components, the tropolones and lignans, were not present in the extractives from the pulps. However, the proportion of a brown polymer doubled. The low and high molecular weight methanol extractives components from the pulps were separated using methyl tert-butyl ether. The low molecular fraction contained mostly guaiacyl-based compounds with dihydroquercetin, thujic acid, 3-hydroxy-1-(4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl)-2-oxopropane and 4-ethyl-2-methoxy-6-hydroxyphenol being positively identified. The brown polymeric portion had molecular weights ranging from 1,000 to 10,000. Infrared analysis indicated that the polymers were formed from lignans. Examination of the changes in diffuse reflectance UV-visible and infra red spectra of the pulps on extraction with methanol, suggested that the colour resides in insoluble polymers formed from plicatic acid/plicatin during refining. Received 18 December 1998     

Effect of components of leaching medium on the leaching of benzalkonium chloride from treated wood

Different leaching media composed of watersoluble extracts from Sakhalin fi r, Japanese cedar, and Japanese larch heartwoods and of taxifolin were used to characterize leaching of the C12 and C14 homologues of benzalkonium chloride from treated wood. The leaching medium of Sakhalin fi r extract moderately accelerated the leaching rates of the two homologues. Japanese cedar extract accelerated the leaching of the C12 homologue at a similar rate and that of the C14 homologue at a higher rate. Japanese larch extract remarkably accelerated the leaching rates of both homologues, particularly that of the C14 homologue. Thus, the leaching rate of the C14 homologue was higher than that of the C12 homologue with the Japanese cedar and larch extracts. The media of taxifolin, a major phenolic extractive of Japanese larch, preferentially accelerated the leaching rate of the C14 homologue. The amounts of phenolic compounds in the different leaching media were in the following order: Japanese larch > Japanese cedar > Sakhalin fi r. These results indicate a relationship between the amount of phenolic compounds and the leaching rates of the two homologues.     

Application of activable tracers to investigate radial movement of minerals in the stem of Japanese cedar (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomeria japonica</Emphasis>)

Two activable tracers, Rb and Eu, were injected into the sapwood of Japanese cedars (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) to investigate the radial movement of minerals in their stems in the resting period. Eight trees of four cultivars, two of which genetically form wet heartwood, were treated near the end of the growing period. At 40 days after the treatment, Rb was detected in the outer heartwood, whereas Eu was not. Radial movement of Rb was more rapid in trees with wet heartwood than in those with normal heartwood. At 204 days after the treatment, more Rb was detected in the heartwood than was found on the first sampling, whereas no Eu was detected in the heartwood. The difference in radial movement between Rb and Eu was considered mainly to be the result of selective transport of beneficial minerals by Japanese cedar. The difference in the rate of radial movement of Rb between wet and normal heartwood became more conspicuous at 204 days after treatment. We concluded that the movement of Rb from the sapwood to the outer heartwood was by active transport through the rays, whereas that in the heartwood was by diffusion due to the gradient of Rb concentration.     

Assessment of decay risk of airborne wood-decay fungi

The decay risk of airborne wood-decay fungi was investigated by using an air sampler. Japanese cedar disks 7.8 cm in diameter and about 3 mm in thickness with moisture content of about 100% were placed in a “BIOSAMP” air sampler and exposed to 1000 l air. Air sampling was carried out from June to September at the same sampling site in Tsukuba, Japan. The exposed disks were then incubated for 16 weeks in a damp container kept at 26° ± 2°C. During the incubation period, wood mass loss ranged from −15 to 807 mg with a mean mass loss of 244 mg. Factors affecting mass loss were explored. Wood moisture content and ratio of heartwood area proved to be significant factors. In addition, six weather factors were found to influence mass loss. Disks that were sampled on a cloudy day showed significantly higher mean mass loss compared to those sampled on a sunny day. Subculturing of filamentous fungi from 16-week incubated disks suggested one-third of the isolated fungi produced ligninolytic enzymes.     

Genetic variation in heartwood properties and growth traits of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus bosistoana</Emphasis>

Forty-one E. bosistoana families were evaluated for the production of heartwood quantity and quality in two sites. High estimated heritabilities of heartwood diameter (HWD) were found in both sites (0.66 and 0.71). The estimated heritabilities of extractives content (EC) were lower with 0.16 and 0.25. Weak genetic correlations between HWD and EC were found in one site, but highly negative (??0.86) genetic correlations were observed in the other. The G?×?E interaction had no significant influence on growth traits but a small-level influence on the EC. Five families were selected for tree breeding as they produced both large HWD and high EC in both sites. It was suggested that genetic breeding selection could improve the heartwood quantity and quality of E. bosistoana plantations.     

Genetic variation of extractives in the wood of trembling aspen

Summary Thirteen clones of Populus tremuloides (Michx.) from central Alberta, Canada, were sampled to determine variation patterns within and among clones for benzene-alcoholwater extractives. Significant differences among clones were present; however, the broadsense heritability for extractive content was low (0.13). Extractive content was highest near the pith and decreased outward. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between rate of growth (ring widths) and extractive content indicated that faster growing clones or trees tend to exhibit less benzene-alcohol-water extractives.The authors would like to thank the Forest Development Research Trust of the Alberta Department of Energy and Natural Resources, and Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC A 1281, NSERC-SPF 00291) for financial support     

Spectrophotometric assay of a wood preservative, didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), in aqueous solution

A spectrophotometric assay based on the color reaction between didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) and 4-[4-(dipropylamino)phenylazo]-benzenesulfonic acid (propyl orange) was used for the determination of DDAC as a wood preservative. The assay was carried out using a propyl orange solution at pH 2.9. The visible absorbance spectrum of propyl orange showed an absorbance maximum at 510 nm, which decreased continuously with increasing DDAC concentration from 0 to 20 ppm. A linear correlation was observed at a DDAC concentration lower than 8 ppm. To apply this assay method to determine DDAC retention in treated wood, the influence of wood extractives on the assay was investigated. Wood extractives from sapwood and heartwood of Japanese cedar, Hinoki cypress, Japanese larch, and Western hemlock showed no influence on DDAC determination except in the case of heartwood from Japanese cedar and Hinoki cypress, which gave apparent DDAC concentrations higher than the actual values. However, it was also found that absorbance measurement at 477 nm solved this overestimation and gave precise values. It was concluded that this assay is a viable alternative to the current methods for DDAC determination.     

Wood properties of juvenile and mature heartwood in Robinia pseudoacacia L.

The aim of this study is to characterise the properties of juvenile and mature heartwood of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.). Content, composition and the subcellular distribution of heartwood extractives were studied in 14 old-growth trees from forest sites in Germany and Hungary as well as in 16 younger trees of four clone types. Heartwood extractives (methanol and acetone extraction) were analysed by HPLC-chromatography. UV microspectrophotometry was used to topochemically localise the extractives in the cell walls. The natural durability of the juvenile and mature heartwood was analysed according to the European standard EN 350-1. Growth as well as chemical analyses showed that, based on extractives content, the formation of juvenile wood in black locust is restricted to the first 10–20 years of cambial growth. In mature heartwood, high contents of phenolic compounds and flavonoids were present, localised in high concentrations in the cell walls and cell lumen of axial parenchyma and vessels. In juvenile wood, the content of these extractives is significantly lower. Juvenile wood had a correspondingly lower resistance to decay by Coniophora puteana (brown rot fungus) and Coriolus versicolor (white rot fungus) than mature heartwood.     

Relationship between <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs concentration and potassium content in stem wood of Japanese cedar (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomeria japonica</Emphasis>)

To utilize forest resources in areas affected by fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, it is important to understand the mechanisms of ¹³⁷Cs movement through the stem wood of contaminated trees. Understanding the mechanism of absorption and migration of ¹³⁷Cs to stem wood is necessary for clues to the future prediction of the transition of ¹³⁷Cs to xylem. In the present study, radial variations in ¹³⁷Cs concentration were investigated in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) trees collected 1 year and 10 months after the accident. Additionally, the relationship between ¹³⁷Cs concentration and potassium (K) content was established. Trees with a higher moisture content and lower lightness value in heartwood tended to have a higher ¹³⁷Cs concentration in the heartwood. In these trees, ¹³⁷Cs concentration peaked at the heartwood–sapwood boundary and gradually decreased toward the pith. By contrast, K content within the heartwood remained nearly constant along the radial direction. The heartwood-to-sapwood ratio of ¹³⁷Cs concentration was significantly positively correlated with that of K content. Based on these results, we suggest that ¹³⁷Cs movement from sapwood to heartwood might be related to the K content ratio of heartwood and sapwood.     

Phenolic extractives in the trunk of Toxicodendron vernicifluum: chemical characteristics,contents and radial distribution

Phenolic extractives in the trunk of Toxicodendron vernicifluum (syn. Rhus verniciflua) were investigated. Seventeen compounds, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, (?)-fisetinidol-4β-ol, (?)-fisetinidol-4α-ol, 2-benzyl-2,6,3′,4′-tetrahydroxycoumaran-3-one, (?)-fustin, 1,2,3,6-Tetra-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose, (?)-epifustin, (+)-taxifolin, 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose, (?)-garbanzol, (?)-fustin-3-O-gallate, (?)-epifustin-3-O-gallate, fisetin, sulfuretin, quercetin and butein, were identified from the heartwood extractives. It was found that only (+)-taxifolin which had 5,7-dihydroxy A-ring possessed a 3R configuration although other flavonoids which had 7-hydroxy A-ring possessed a 3S configuration. Quantitative analysis revealed that the total phenolic contents were much higher in the heartwood (5–7 wt%) than in the sapwood and bark (1–2 wt%), and (?)-fustin was the most abundant extractive in the heartwood (1.4–2.4 wt%). For the radial distribution of phenolic extractives, it was generally found that their content was lowest in the sapwood, increased to the highest in the outer heartwood, and then decreased in the inner heartwood.     

The characterization of wetwood in western hemlock

Summary One of the problem areas in the kiln drying of western hemlock lumber is the wide variation in final moisture content of the wood. This variation in moisture content is due to the presence of sinker or wetwood in the heartwood. The features of wetwood which differentiate it from the normal heartwood include higher specific gravity, higher extractives content, and lower permeability. The apparent higher specific gravity can be fully accounted for by the higher extractives content. The principial extractive is α-conidendrin. The wetwood in western hemlock often occurs together with ring shake and under these circumstances the white deposit on the shake surfaces is also α-conidendrin and not matairesinol, the substance usually associated with ring shake in western hemlock. A viewpoint is presented on the origin of wetwood as the endproduct of a reaction by the tree to injury, i.e., ring shake, in which additional extractives are deposited. The extractives result in a greatly lowered permeability, which prevents loss of moisture during heartwood formation and thereby resulting in wetwood. Bacteria usually found in wetwood and responsible for many of the symptoms associated with wetwood are a result of the high moisture content which favors bacterial growth in wood. Presumably, the two primary sources of loss in kiln drying of western hemlock, shake and wetwood, are often intimately associated. The authors appreciate the assistance of Allen H. Doerksen and Louis W. Hamlin of the Forest Research Laboratory. All samples collected for this study were donated by Willamette Industries, Inc., Dallas, Oregon, and a portion of the research was supported by the Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University.