Determination of volatile compounds in hydroalcoholic extracts of French and American oak weed

Hydroalcoholic extracts of French oak from different origins (Allier, Centr al France, Vosges) and of American oak were analyzed by means of gas chroma tography with mass spectrometric detection. Thirty-nine substances (aldehyd es, phenolic compounds, oak lactones, acids, furan derivatives, etc.) were identified, most of them being present in differing amounts in the four ext racts. The possibility of using the concentration of some of these compound s in wood in order to distinguish wood sample types is discussed.