Demonstration of the Presence of Carotenoids in Wood:  Quantitative Study of Cooperage Oak

The presence of β-carotene and a precursor of lutein is described in wood for the first time. These compounds were found in the wood of sessile oak, pedunculate oak, American white oak, chestnut, and beech. The levels were generally low and varied considerably from one tree to another. Among the European oaks, sessile oak was significantly richer in lutein than pedunculate oak. Sessile oaks from Jupilles forest contained the highest β-carotene levels. The position of the wood sample in the trunk affected the carotenoid content, and barrel wood is taken from a zone that is fairly rich in these compounds. Keywords: Carotenoids; oak wood; age of wood; European oak; American oak