The treatment of wood wastes of Castanea sativa L., Quercus frainetto, Larix decidua, and Paulownia tomentosa S. in autoclave in the presence of micrometric crystals of H₃PMo12O40 showed an impressive increase of the amount of extractives. The extractives were mainly constituted of insoluble compounds that were analyzed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after acetylation. The GC-MS analysis of the chloroform soluble fraction of the extractives obtained from sativa showed the presence of methyl hexadecanoate and octadecanoic acid, that of the extractives of frainetto showed the presence of octadecanal and some long chain hydrocarbons. decidua extracts showed the presence of large amounts of sesamin, while the extractives of P tomentosa revealed the presence of 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxycimmanaldehyde, and relevant amounts of long chain hydrocarbons. The insoluble fraction showed the presence of relevant amounts of several carbohydrates and, in the case of C. sativa, of inositol.
Keywords: inositol; phenolic compounds; phosphomolybdic acid; water extraction; wood extracts.