​Terpenoids, naturally occurring compounds derived from isoprene units present in pine oleoresin, are a valuable source of chemicals used in solvents, fragrances, flavors and have shown potential use as a biofuel. A high-throughput method has been developed to extract and analyze the terpenoids present in greenhouse-grown loblolly pine saplings and milled pine lighter wood. Various extraction solvents were tested over different amounts of time and temperatures of the extraction. Samples were analyzed by Pyrolysis-molecular beam mass spectrometry before and after extractions to monitor the extraction efficiency of each method tested. Results from the pyrolysis studies indicated that the optimal extraction method used a 1:1 hexane/acetone solvent system at 22°C for 1 h. Extracts from the optimal hexane/acetone experiments were derivatized using BSTFA and analyzed using a low thermal mass modular accelerated column heater for fast-GC/FID analysis. Terpenoids from the pine samples that were quantified using standards included the monoterpenes, α- and β- pinene, camphene and carene. Sesquiterpenes analyzed included caryophyllene, humulene and bisabolene. Diterpenoid resin acids were also quantified in derivatized extractions and included pimaric acid, isopimaric acid, levopimaric acid, palustric acid, dehydroabietic acid, abietic acid and neoabietic acid. Approximately 200 pine samples/week can be extracted and injected on the fast-GC for analysis of total terpenoid content.

Development of a high-throughput method for determination of terpenoid content in pine

249th National Meeting (2015)

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