In previous studies we found significant differences in the suberin content with respect to the bark layer of Quercus suber samples. In this study the monomer composition of suberin from the two bark layers (i.e., back and cork) of three provenances (Extremadura, Castile-la Mancha, and Portugal) was investigated using pyrolysis in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The major compounds released were octadec-9-enedioic acid, docosanedioic acid, and 9,10-epoxyocta-decanedioic acid with mean values of 17%, 14.5%, and 11%, respectively. The former is more abundant in back than in cork, and the latter in cork than in back with mean differences, in terms of percentages, between the back and cork of 4.3 ± 0.81 and 2.2 ± 0.52, respectively

This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation as part of the project CTM CTM2010-15185