Cork
is the bark of Quercus suber L., the
cork oak tree. It is currently explored for different industrial
applications, of which stoppers for the wine industry is the most
representative and economically important. During the processing stages,
up to 30% of cork is transformed into powder, which is mainly used
for energy production by the industry. This underexploited natural
resource stream constitutes an opportunity for the development of
new products. In this review, we discuss cork as a potential source
of chemicals for alternative applications. Special emphasis is dedicated
to (a) suberin, (b) the extractives fraction, and (c) the use of cork
in nontraditional applications. Suberin constitutes a source of long
chain hydroxyacids which can serve as building blocks for new macromolecules
and materials. The structure and composition are briefly addressed,
while the advances in suberin depolymerization, extraction methodologies,
and the proposed applications for this material are thoroughly discussed.
The extractives fraction is constituted by lipophilic and phenolic
compounds that present strong antioxidant and biological activities.
The extractives composition and its properties are addressed. Finally,
the use of cork for recently proposed applications, such as the preparation
of activated carbons and as templates for the adsorption of pollutants,
are also presented. This review is intended to summarize the current
knowledge and technological development state and to push for the
progress toward an integrated cork economy.