Extractives are an important class of compounds in plants because they contribute to many of their physicochemical properties such as color, odor, density, strength, permeability, and hygroscopicity. Moreover, they also possess significant biological activity and are thus an important part of the plants' defense mechanisms against biotic and abiotic stresses. Tree needles are a rich source of extractives, counting for as much as 40% of their dry weight. In this study, chemical fingerprinting of essential oils and solvent extracts, obtained from the needles of four conifer tree species (i.e., pine, spruce, larch, and juniper), was performed by using ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry. A wide variety of compounds were detected in the oil samples, including mono-, sesqui-, and diterpenes, terpenoids, fatty and resin acids, esters, and different phenolic compounds. Although the main compounds were present in all the four essential oil samples, large variations in their relative abundances were observed. In contrast, pine needle hexane and toluene extracts showed a high content of resin acids, including pinifolic acid, a rare labdane-type diterpene diacid, and its mono-and dimethyl esters. Thus, by selecting a suitable solvent, specific types of compounds may be isolated from tree needles for further biotechnological or medicinal applications.
Coniferous trees are the most dominant trees in Finland with a great economic value for pulp, paper, and timber making. Thus, their utilization also results in large quantities of residues, especially bark and needles. Tree needles are a rich source of bioactive compounds, which have a considerable utilization potential in different pharmaceutical or techno-chemical applications. In this study, hydrothermal extraction (HTE) of the needles from four conifer tree species, namely, Scots pine, Norway spruce, common juniper, and European larch, was performed. Besides water, ethanol was also used as a solvent to enhance extraction efficiency and selectivity. All of the HTE experiments were conducted with a customized high-pressure reactor operated at 120 °C and 5 bar. The obtained needle extracts were then analyzed using a direct-infusion ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry. The FT-ICR analysis of water and ethanol extracts allowed identification of over 200 secondary plant metabolites, including monosaccharides, organic acids, terpenoids, a variety of phenolic compounds, and nitrogen alkaloids. The use of ethanol as the extraction solvent considerably enhanced the recovery of lipids, especially terpenoids, some polyphenols, and other unsaturated hydrocarbon species.
Introduction: Coniferous trees, especially their needles and bark, are a rich source of bioactive compounds. The developing needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies), also known as spruce sprouts, are enriched with vitamin C and other antioxidants, and thus they are used as a dietary supplement and have been traditionally used to treat various inflammatory disorders such as rheumatism and gout. Their chemical composition is only limitedly known, however. Objectives: The main objective of this work was to have a deeper understanding on the chemical composition of spruce sprouts to assess their full potential in different pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, or technochemical applications. Materials and methods: Ultrahigh-resolution Fourier-transform ion cyclotron (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry, coupled to direct-infusion electrospray ionisation (ESI) or atmospheric pressure photoionisation (APPI) techniques, was used for in-depth compositional analysis of solvent extracts and essential oil of spruce sprouts. Results: A combined use of ESI and APPI techniques offered a great complementary insight into the rich chemistry of different spruce sprout extracts, allowing detection of thousands of chemical constituents with over 200 secondary metabolites tentatively identified. These compounds belonged to different classes such as organic acids, terpenes, flavonoids, stilbenes, sterols, and nitrogen alkaloids.Conclusion: Spruce sprouts have a complex metabolite profile that differs considerably from that of the old, developed needles.
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