Potential of Paulownia sp. for biorefinery

Paulownia genus is a rapid growing tree increasingly used for energy plantations due to the advantageous properties of its wood. However, other parts of the tree are discarded. Since different bioactives obtained from different parts of the plant have been traditionally used with medicinal purposes and recent studies have provided their detailed chemical and biological characterization, the integral utilization of this resource is proposed. This review presents traditional single product approach and the potential of several biorefinery approaches reported for the valorization of the different parts of Paulownia trees (wood, bark, leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruits). Future alternatives should consider the integral utilization of all components following greener and efficient processing stages.