CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION OF EXTRACTIVES FROM ABIES NORDMANNIANA

Wood and bark from Abies nordmanniana were studied for chemical compos ition of the extractives. The wood contained very low amounts of lipop hilic and polar components. The lipophilic fraction of the extractives was composed of fatty acids, resin acids, alcohols and sterols, and t he polar fraction was composed of monosaccharides and lignans. The bar k contained very high amounts of lipophilic and polar components in co mparison with the wood. The composition of lipophilic fraction did not significantly vary from the respective wood extract. Glycerol, gallic acid, sucrose, catechin isomers, gallocatechin isomers were identifie d in addition to monosaccharides and lignans among numerous components of the polar fraction of the bark. Successive extractions with benzen e, ether, hot water and ethanol amounted up to 30% of the bark. Total solubles exceeded 50% of the bark by the treatment of the extractive-f ree bark with 1% hot NaOH. There were no significant differences betwe en the samples prepared from young and old trees for the yields of the consecutive extractions and 1% NaOH solubility. However, Stiasny numb er determined as a measure of the phenol content (condensed tannins) w as found to be much higher in the old samples than in the young ones.