Methods, characteristics, variance, and genetics of pine oleoresin components, and their potential for renewable and sustainable energy

Pine oleoresin is an important nontimber forest product. It can be used to produce rosin and turpentine, which are important industrial chemicals. The production and industrial uses of oleoresin have received much attention, and chemical taxonomy based on the components of essential oil from needles has been a popular research topic. The molecular and biosynthesized basis of the composition of the resin has been more comprehensively studied in relation to traditional genetics, such as heritability and correlation. Here, the characteristics of the chemical compositions of oleoresins from 43 pine species using GC and GC–MS methods were reviewed. Then, the chemical taxonomy of oleoresin was compared with Little and Critchfield's classification and Gernandt's classification, and the traditional genetics of the chemical components of oleoresin using two pine species (Pinus elliottii and P. massoniana) were compiled. NIR spectroscopy methods for oleoresin composition analysis were first reported, and the potential of the oleoresin for renewable and sustainable energy was addressed with reference to recent publications. Oleoresin is not only an important nontimber forest product currently but also, an important resource for renewable and sustainable energy in the future.