Chemical Composition of Algerian Cork According the Origin and the Quality
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IJRES 1 (2014) 17-25 Chemical composition of Algerian cork according the origin and the quality Dehane B.*, Benrahou A., Bouhraoua R., Hamani F. Z. and Belhoucine L. Département des Ressources Forestières, Faculté SNVTU, Laboratoire Gestion Conservatoire de l’Eau, Sol et Forêts (LGCESF), Rocade1, Université Abou Bekr Belkaid de Tlemcen-Algérie. Article History ABSTRACT Received 14 September, 2014 This research deepens knowledge on the properties of Algerian cork, by Received in revised form 17 reporting the relationship between two main characteristics in terms of physical October, 2014 Accepted 23 October, 2014 appearance (porosity and density); and of the chemical composition of the material. Samples in natural cork belonging to three quality classes used by the Key words: cork industry were selected from planks, extracted from representative trees of Algerian cork, six origins of the Algerian North [Jijel, Guelma, Tizi-Ouzou, M'Sila (Oran), Tennes Chemical composition, (Chlef) and Hafir (Tlemcen)]. For every provenance the porosity, the density of Quality, the cork and the chemical composition were determined. Results obtained show Interaction. that the chemical composition of the cork (Suberin, lignin and extractives) is relatively homogeneous about the geographical position (p>0.05). This situation changes by adopting the concept of the geographical area of the cork oak and the quality. Indeed, suberin which is the main contents of the suber (34.45 %), Article Type: was linked to the good quality classes and tends to yield every time the porosity Full Length Research Article and density, as well as raised the extractives. ©2014 BluePen Journals Ltd. All rights reserved INTRODUCTION The cellular structure and the chemical composition of texture, density and the frequency of its porosity all the cork of Quercus suber L. are the basis for its low changes. These changes can limit the applications of the density, impermeability in liquids, its elasticity and impact product because they are considered as defects (Molinas strength. These remarkable set of properties are the and Oliva, 1990). Cork is found predominantly in the central reason for its use as a barrier against liquids, Mediterranean region (2 275 000 ha). The major cork heat, sound, chemicals, vibration and the dumping producing nations are Portugal, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, (Natividade, 1956; Gibson et al., 1981; Pereira, 1987). Tunisia, Italy and France. Cork production has shown These unique properties drew very early the attention of significant expansion in recent years with 340 000 tons researchers. The cellular structure of this plant material annually. Cork is used in a variety of products - from was observed for the first time under the microscope, by construction materials to gaskets and most importantly - Robert Hooke in 1664, and the first chemical experiences as a stopper for premium wines. The cork industry with the cork dates back to the 18th century. However, employs an estimated 30 000 workers in a variety of jobs cork is a natural product produced annually by the plant, (Apcor, 2004). Quercus suber, which by its nature and the The properties of the cork and its afterward quality heterogeneousness of factors affecting its production; divert widely the specificities of its chemical composition has a strong variability and this makes the quality and the chemical structure of its components. The concept difficult to define (Carrasquinho, 1987). During suberin, the lignin and the polysaccharides (cellulose and the process of its formation, its growth, color, hemicellulose), and extractives are the main compounds quoted in the bibliography bound to the chemistry of the cork (Silva et al., 2005). The suberin is a very complex polymer, responsible for elastic properties and for *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]. impermeability of the cork. Its relative proportion lines up Int. J. Res. Environ. Stud. 18 Figure 1. Geographical distribution of the 60 provenances in the North of Algeria. between 22, 1-51% and 7% (Gil, 1997). The lignin, component and the area of distribution of the cork oak. responsible for the structural rigidity of cells and for the This contradiction infers subdivisions of the species in compression resistance is situated between 16.6-27.6% sub-species or in varieties often mor-phologically and of the total weight. Polysaccharides (cellulose: 10% and genetically different (corky tissue, dimensions of acorns, hemicellulose: 12 %) results from the exclusively linear wood and phellem) (Lacaze and Touzet 1986). In this condensation of units glucose united between them by study, two levels of originality specificity to the ecological linked ß (1-4) and of a polysaccharide heteropolymers and geographical situation of cork oak in Algeria we (Gibson and Ashby, 1988). The main constituents are examined: xylane, mainly 4-0-methyglucoronoxylane isolated, using alkaline solution (Pereira, 2007). Finally, the extractive The origin 1 that is related to the geographical position. material- Friedelin- is the major constituent (1% of the The origin 2 which includes the geographical area cork) obtained after extraction of the cork in the (coast and mountain). dichloromethane. Betulin (0.5 %) as well as several fatty acids (arachidic, cerotic, oleic and linoleic) are also The study which focused on the chemical composition of present in the extracts (Riboulet and Alegoet, 1986; cork compared with its origin and quality (quality classes) Castola et al., 2002; Pereira, 2007). The ecological and has never been conduct in Algeria. The purpose of this environmental diversity of Algeria make the cork oak work was to deepen knowledge on the properties of cork, irregularly distributed. From a dense and continuous by emphasizing the link between the physical charac- formations of more than 150 000 ha east towards the teristics (density and porosity) and the relative proportion center of the country, it forms only scattered population of the main structural elements (suberin, lignin and and it is less important in the west. This situation has extractives). being strongly shaped by man over the centuries. The productive surface have passed 450 000 in 220 000 ha, because it is about a monoecious species whose MATERIALS AND METHODS allogamy are aggravated by the frequent of occurrence of the inter-specific phenomena of hybridization, the Sampling ecological requirements of cork oak make the species adopts different adaptations according to the climatic and Samples of cork (calas) which served as basis for the edaphic characteristics which reign in every type of study were collected from six origins, representing all environment. The concept of origin is vital for the species, varieties of cork oak forest of the North of Algeria (Figure it integrates several variants: the ecological component 1). The choice of trees for each origin was made based (ground, humidity and exposure), the geographical on the outside aspect of the trunk: Righteousness of the Dehane et al. 19 trunk, absence of pathogenic fungus, cracks and blaze. functional phloem (sedimenting material). The resulting The extraction sample was made without hurting the fractions were dried at 60°C during two days before phellogen. Circular plots of 20 m radius (with number of chemical analysis was carried out. The summative trees per plot ranging between 25 and 30) were marked chemical analyses included only the determination of in each forest. Three trees were sampled at random for extractives, suberin and lignin. The extraction method each plot, extracting from each tree at 1.30 m high and was based on a well-defined method in literature and a facing the center of the plot a rectangular sample of cork conventional approach (Conde et al., 1998; Pereira, with dimensions of 10×10 cm (100 cm2). The rotation age 1988, 2007; Sen et al., 2010). All the experiments were to obtain the sample was 9 years. In total, 60 samples performed in duplicate. were obtained from the six forests. Extractives were determined by successive Soxhlet The samples were taken to the laboratory and were extractions with dichloromethane (6 h), ethanol (8 h) and stabilized at room temperature (20°C) until constant hot water (20 h). After each extraction step and the weight was achieved. An industrial treatment was carried solution allowed to evaporate, the solid residue was out to preserve the natural characteristics of cork. weighed with an analytical balance. Total thickness was determined for each sample from Suberin content was determined in extractive-free belly to back according International Organization for material by the use of methanolysis for depolymerisation. Standardization (ISO 1216:1998) standard. To determine A 1.5 g of extractive-free material was refluxed with 100 3 the volumetric density (kg/m ) of each sample, their ml of a 3% methanolic solution of NaOCH3 in CH3OH length and width were measured using a flexible rule of 1 during 3 h. The sample was filtrated and washed with mm accuracy. While to calculate the density, the mass methanol. The filtrate and the residue were refluxed with was determined with a precision balance of 0.001 g. 100 ml CH3OH for 15 min and filtered again. The The analyses of corky appearance (defects and combined filtrates were acidified to pH 6 with 2 M H2SO4 porosity visual) (Quality visual: Q1) was realized by the and evaporated to dryness. The residues were mean of Calcor program (2008) (Garcia de Ceca, 2001). suspended in 50 ml of water and the alcoholysis products Each sample is assigned to its respective class 1:1st-3rd recovered with dichloromethane in three successive (good quality), 2: 4th-5th (medium quality), 3(6th) (poor extractions, each with 50 ml dichloromethane. The com- quality) based on the identification of defects. bined extracts were dried over anhydrous sodium Numerical analysis (Q2) of the samples was possible sulphate (Na2SO4) and the solvent was evaporated to by the acquisition of the image of the tangential section of dryness. Suberin extracts were quantified gravimetrically the 60 samples with a scanner.