Gel permeation chromatographic study of the molecular weight distribution of tannins in the wood,bark and leaves ofEucalyptus spp.

Summary The molecular weight distribution of tannins from the wood, bark and leaves ofEucalyptus camaldulensis, E. globulus andE. rudis from two different Spanish provenances has been studied by high performance gel permeation chromatography, using the compounds' acetylated derivatives. The MW distribution profiles showed important variability depending on the type of vegetal tissue, the species and, in some cases, on the geographical provenance of the samples. Bark was the vegetal tissue that yielded tannins with the highest molecular weight, followed by wood and leaves. Tannins from wood and bark ofE. camaldulensis were of higher molecular size than those fromE. globulus andE. rudis; those in the leaves ofE. globulus andE. camaldulensis were similar in molecular size and larger than those in the leaves ofE. rudis.