abstract
The chemical composition of the lipophilic extracts of bark and core, of the Miscanthus x giganteus stalk, was studied by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Aromatic compounds, sterols, and fatty acids, followed by long-chain fatty alcohols, were the major families of components present in the M. x giganteus stalk. Aromatic compounds are more abundant in the M. x giganteus bark (521 mg/kg of bark), with vanillic acid, vanillin, and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde as the major compounds of this family. In the M. x giganteus core, sterols represent about 949 mg/kg of dry core with beta-sitosterol, 7-oxo-beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol as the major components. The detection of small amounts of esters in the GC-MS analysis with short columns explains the small increase in the abundance of the identified families after alkaline hydrolysis. The high content of valuable sterols and aromatic compounds in M. x giganteus and, particularly, in the core, which is considered a residue in most applications, can open new perspectives for the integrated upgrading of this grass within the biorefinery perspective.
keywords
QUALITY PAPER PULPS; LIPOPHILIC EXTRACTIVES; CHEMICAL-CHARACTERIZATION; EUCALYPTUS-GLOBULUS; LIPID FRACTIONS; PITCH DEPOSITS; POTENTIAL USES; KRAFT PULPS; FIBERS; SINENSIS
subject category
Agriculture; Chemistry; Food Science & Technology
authors
Villaverde, JJ; Domingues, RMA; Freire, CSR; Silvestre, AJD; Neto, CP; Ligero, P; Vega, A
our authors
Armando Jorge Domingues Silvestre
Full professor
Carlos Pascoal Neto
Raiz Director
Carmen Sofia da Rocha Freire Barros
Coordinating Researcheracknowledgements
The authors thank