MP: SpruceEx - utilization of decayed Norway Spruce

The SpruceEx commercialisation project established a proof-of-concept industrial process for purification of a specific compound derived from decayed Norway spruce. The project will optimized and validated the SpruceEx process. Wood based products play an important role in the transition from an oil-based to a bio-based economy. In the past few years, there has also been an increasing demand for e.g. drugs and food supplements obtained from natural products. Recent work at NIBIO has shown that fungal decayed wood of Norway spruce allows the extraction of levels of a specific compound that exceed current industrial standards. The compound has broad application potential, since it is a platform chemical (i.e. starting material for other derived compounds). There is no shortage of such raw material, since as many as every 4th mature Norway spruce trees shows infection by wood decay fungi by the time of final harvest. In a preliminary study, we have collected samples at three heights along the stem from six trees with varying stages of decay. The extracted samples contained up to 0.38% pure compound. This shows that the SpruceEx process has the potential for more than a 4.5-fold increased yield compared to the current processes. By increasing output, decreasing the costs, and utilizing a low-value residual wood material, SpruceEx is able to produce and commercialize a product with a large market potential.

SpruceEx has been used to increase the yields of a specific compound from decayed Norway spruce, an abundant and previously unutilized source. Compared to the low output achieved from the more complex processes will the new SpruceEx process give significantly higher yields from decayed Norway spruce trunks which is an underutilized source with potential use to improve human health. In rats, has this specific compound been shown to decrease the volume of induced tumours and stabilize established tumours, as well as prevent the development of new tumours. The specific compound has anti-oxidant properties in vitro and has been initially commercialized. The results from this project will be followed up in a "Verifiserings" project application in 2021.