The further development and demonstration of a unique, transportable magnetic resonance imaging system, the Tree Hugger, [I, 2] is presented. The work is divided into four sections. The first is the commissioning of the magnet for use in-situ in a forest environment. Technical improvements, including the replacement of the receiver multiplexer >./4 cable by a passive circuit; an active shim of the magnet; and the design and build of new gradient amplifiers, lead to increased portability of the system, improved homogeneity of the magnet and overall to a doubling of the signal to noise ratio of measured signals. Second, the feasibility of imaging living trees in the forest using the Tree Hugger is demonstrated. The first extended in-situ magnetic resonance imaging study of a living tree over a growing season is reported. Correlations are drawn between nuclear magnetic resonance measurements and other indicators such as relative humidity, soil moisture and net solar radiation. The third part of the work is a. study of water self-diffusion in a living tree in-situ and in felled timber made using the Tree Hugger. Analysis of the acquired echo attenuation data reveal mean cell radii of 12.4 /-LID in the horizontal orientation in a living tree and 11.9 /-Lm and 12.2 /-Lm in the tangential and radial directions in felled timber respectively. Finally, an investigation into the drying of felled sitka spruce is presented. A probe is developed to make measurements at elevated temperatures inside the magnet. Analysis of ID nuclear magnetic resonance profiles of the timber during drying yield temperature dependent effective diffusion coefficients for the water in wood along the three orthogonal axes. Activation energies for water diffusion of 33.4 (±O.9) kJ/mol, 58.6 (±3.5) kJ/mol and 44.7 (±1.5) were calculated for the longitudinal, radial and tangential orientations in felled timber respectively.

Au cours de ce travail, le taux d’extractibles de cinq essences camerounaises a été évalué par la technique d’extraction accélérée ASE 200 et au Soxhlet. Le taux d’extractibles varie de 4,4 à 17,7%. Le screening des extraits a révélé la présence de polyphénols, de saponines, de flavonoïdes, de stérols et de terpènes. Les phénols totaux contenus dans les extraits ont été évalués par la méthode de Folin–Ciocalteu en utilisant l’acide gallique comme standard. La teneur varie de 16,5 à 165,83 mg éq acide gallique / g d’extrait. Le dosage des tannins condensés par la méthode colorimétrique a permis de montrer que ces derniers varient de 0,15 à 23,61 g cyanidin équivalents / 100 g de matière sèche. L’identification des composés contenus dans les extraits par GC-MS a permis d’identifier de l’homopterocarpine et de la pterocarpine dans les extraits de padouk. Les extraits de tali contiennent de la catéchine, l’acide gallique et du pyrogallole. L’acide gallique, le squalène et les triterpènes sont les composés majoritairement identifiés dans les extraits de movingui. La durabilité naturelle des bois a été évaluée par la norme européenne EN 350-1, 1994. Il ressort que les pertes de masse deviennent plus importantes lorsque les éprouvettes de bois ont été extraites. La perte de masse des éprouvettes non extraites varie de 0,1 à 59% (le hêtre a été pris comme référence). Les essais d’inhibition de croissances sur les champignons de pourriture ont montré qu’à des concentrations de 250 ppm, nos extraits étaient fongistatiques et qu’à des concentrations de 500 ppm certains extrait étaient fongicides (extrait de tali). L’évaluation des propriétés antioxydante et colorante des extraits pour envisager de potentielles applications industrielles a été effectuée. Le pouvoir antioxydant des extraits a été évalué par la méthode d’inhibition du linoléate de méthyle induite par l’azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). Les résultats obtenus sont satisfaisants car l’activité antioxydante varie de 10 à 86%. Le pouvoir anti-radicalaire des extraits a été évalué en utilisant le radical 2,2-diphényl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH.). Les concentrations nécessaires pour consommer 50% du radical varie de 2,7 à 60,5 mg/L. La capacité des extraits aqueux et alcalins à teindre les fibres naturelles et artificielles a été évaluée. La mesure de la coloration prise par les fibres s’est faite à l’aide d’un colorimètre Datacolor D65°10. Les résultats montrent que ces extraits donnent une coloration jaune avec les extraits de movingui et une coloration rouge avec les extraits de padouk. L’utilisation des extraits pour inhiber la croissance bactérienne a montré que les extraits étaient bactériostatiques pour les concentrations testées / In this work, the accelerated technical ASE 200 and Soxhelet was used to evaluate the amount of extractives contained in five Cameroonian wood species. The amount of extractives ranged from 4.4 to 17.7% with respect to oven-dry matter. Phytochemical screening of the extractives revealed the presence of polyphenols, saponins, flavonoïds, sterols and terpenes. The total phenolic content of the extracts was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method using gallic acid as standard. The phenolic content ranged from 16.5 to 165.83 mg eq gallic acid/g of extract. The condensed tannins, evaluated by colorimetric method, ranged from 0.15 to 23.61 g cyanidin equivalents/100 g of dry matter. GC-MS identified the homopterocarpine and pterocarpin as major compound in extracts of padouk. Catechin, gallic acid and pyrogallole were the major compounds found in the extracts of tali. Extracts of movingui consisted mainly of diterpenes and several compounds not readily identifiable. Gallic acid, squalene and triterpenes were the predominant compounds identified in the extracts of movingui. The natural durability of wood was evaluated using the European Standard EN 350-1. Mass losses increased when the wood samples were extracted. Mass losses of non-extracted samples ranged from 0.1 to 59% (with beech taken as a reference). The effect of extractives on fungal growth showed that at 250 ppm concentrations, the extracts were fungistatic and that at 500 ppm concentrations, the extracts of tali were fungicidal.Valorization of the extractives in the food and the textile industries was attempted. In food, the antioxidant activity of the extracts by inhibition of methyl linoleate induced by AIBN was evaluated. The results obtained were satisfactory because all the extracts showed antioxidant activity which varied from 10 to 86%. Then the anti-radical capacity of our extracts was assessed by the DPPH method. The concentration necessary to consume 50% of DPPH varied from 2.7 to 60.5 mg/L. Aqueous and alkaline extracts were used to dye natural and artificial fibers. The coloration taken by the fibers was measured using a Datacolor D65°10 apparatus. These extracts gave a yellow color with extracts of movingui and a red color with extracts of padouk. The effect of extractives on bacteria growth showed that the extracts were bacteriostatic at the tests concentrations