Extraction and degradation of oak lignin from barrel used in the aging or rum

Abstract

Oak chips from six lots barrels of different origin were Summit to a hidroalcoholysis by reflux with a rum distillate. With gravimetric analysis and IR spectroscopy the lignin extracted was quantified and identified, and by means of HPLC the aromatic aldehydes and acids were analyzed. Significant differences for all compounds were found; the lignin IR spectra matched with the reported one and, concentrations in a decrease order was: syringaldehyde, vanillin, coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde form aromatic aldehydes and, for acids: protocatechuic, siringic, vanillic, ferulic and coumaric. There is not a good correlation between the lignin content and aromatic aldehydes and acids concentrations and the results shown that the structural compositions of lignin in defferent oak Woods are variable in monomeric units. According to the results, the composition of rums aged in these oak wood will be different in term of aldehyhes an acids from lignin degradation.