Radial variation of total phenol content in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) wood with and without red heartwood

A comparative study of the radial distribution of the total phenol contents has been carried out on two Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) discs, one with red heartwood and the other without red heartwood. The wood disc samples were investigated immediately after felling and at the different stages of room-drying. In the disc without red heartwood the concentrations increased from the bark towards the pith. In the disc with red heartwood the total phenol concentration rose steeply in front of the colour boundary, but this could only be measured in the fresh tissues. This suggests, that in these tissues either the formation of phenols (accumulation) is more intense or that special phenols are also formed. Beyond the boundary the concentration decreased dramatically. After drying of the wood samples the concentration decreased in all wood parts of the discs, but the amount of this is the highest in the white tissues next to the red heartwood. The results prove that the transformation of the phenols in the white tissues next to the colour boundary takes place faster.