Wood profiling by non-targeted high-resolution mass spectrometry: Part 1, Metabolite profiling in Cedrela wood for the determination of the geographical origin

In this study, 10 samples of cedrela ( Cedrela odorata ) from the Belize region (Rio Bravo, coordinate: 17°56´07.4"N 88°47’30.5"W; Quiche Ha, coordinate: 17°28’37.2"N 88°15’41.8"W) on the east coast of Central America and 11 samples from Suriname (coordinate: 5°25’00.0"N 55°48’00.0"W) on the northeast coast of South America were utilized. The two locations have a geographical distance of approximately 3900 km. The elevation of the different sample locations is relatively identical and is app. 3 m.a.s.l..

Climatic data are also relatively similar (Belize, mean annual temperature: 26 °C; annual precipitation: 2013 mm; rainy season: june- december; Suriname, mean annual temperature: 27 °C; annual precipitation: 2068 mm; rainy season: april-july, december-january). Heartwood samples were taken from the trunk of the trees at a height of 50 cm and harvested in 2016 and 2019 All the samples were first pre-dried at room temperature, so that enzymatic processes or further chemical reactions were largely prevented, and no changes should result from the different harvest times.