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Detecting fungal DNA in treated and non-treated wood
2007 - IRG/WP 07-10621
Isolating fungi from wood has long involved culturing on selective media followed by identification using various keys. This process can be cumbersome, costly, and, most importantly, not always capable of detecting all of the fungi present. The recent development of molecular methods for isolation and identification of fungi has created tremendous opportunities for expanding our knowledge of the...
C Freitag, M Freitag, J Morrell


Effect of fungal attack on maximum load capacity of simulated wall assemblies
2007 - IRG/WP 07-20363
The effects of moisture intrusion and fungal attack on the maximum load capacity of nailed assemblies was investigated using one white and one brown rot fungus against 4 material combinations over a 20 week period. Wetting significantly reduced the maximum load capacity of all four material combinations, while wetting and autoclaving only affected the OSB sheathing/spruce stud. The white rot fung...
N Melencion, J J Morrell


Antifungal activity of plant derived extracts against G. trabeum
2007 - IRG/WP 07-30433
While synthetic chemicals have provided excellent protection to woods used in adverse environments, the general public remains interested in naturally derived wood protectants. There are diverse arrays of possible candidates, but many of these compounds are not readily water soluble and efforts to render them soluble often reduce biological activity. In this report, we describe efforts to enhance ...
M Maoz, I Weitz, M Blumenfeld, C Freitag, J J Morrell


Detection of Anti-Fungal Sapwood Extractives in Non-Durable Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) and Jelutong (Dyera costulata)
2007 - IRG/WP 07-10634
A general laboratory bioassay method of Woodward and Pearce (1985) was adopted to detect anti-fungal activity of sapwood or heartwood extractives of 5 Malaysian hardwoods [dark red meranti heartwood (Shorea spp.), red balau heartwood (Shorea spp.), kulim heartwood (Scorodocarpus borneensis), jelutong sapwood (Dyera costulata) and rubberwood sapwood (Hevea brasiliensis), including the temperate Pin...
A H H Wong, R B Pearce


Antifungal activity and synergistic effect of cinnamaldehyde combined with antioxidants against wood decay fungi
2007 - IRG/WP 07-30445
The objective of this study was to investigate the antifungal activity and synergistic effect of cinnamaldehyde combined with antioxidants against wood decay fungi. Five antioxidants, propyl gallate, octyl gallate, quercetin, eugenol and catechin were tested against various wood decay fungi. Octyl gallate and eugenol were found to be the only two antioxidants processed antifungal activities. IC50 ...
Fu-Lan Hsu, Tsair-Bor Yen, Hui- Ting Chang, Shang-Tzen Chang


A step towards a better understanding of fungal colonization of modified wood - QRT-PCR studies
2008 - IRG/WP 08-10653
The area of wood protection is in a period of change. New wood protection systems have been developed while their mode of action remains insufficiently understood. The development of molecular methods provides potential tools to investigate the interaction between modified wood and decay fungi. One small step to tackle some of the unsolved questions about the mode of action of modified wood is tak...
G Alfredsen, A Pilgård, A Hietala


Antifungal activity of different molecular weights of a biopolymer chitosan against wood decay fungi
2008 - IRG/WP 08-30456
In recent years chitosan has been investigated as a natural polymer for wood preservation against fungal decay. From an environmental point of view, chitosan seems to possess a potential approaches as wood protecting agent. In this study, three different molecular weights of chitosan compounds (with approximately the same degree of deacetylation 83 ± 2 %) were evaluated as in vitro and in vivo as...
A S O Mohareb, M E I Badawy


Quercetin - a potential compound of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Neem) leaves exhibiting activity against wood decaying fungi and termites
2008 - IRG/WP 08-30463
Azadirachta indica A.Juss. is widely recognized for its medicinal, insecticidal, pesticidal and anti-microbial property. Methanol extract of neem leaves revealed marked anti-fungal activity when subjected to malt-agar and soil block bioassay against wood destroying brown (Oligoporus placentus) and white rot (Trametes versicolor). The extract also revealed marked termicidal property when subjected ...
S Dhyani, S Tripathi


Antifungal activity of essential oils against common wood degrading/decaying fungi
2008 - IRG/WP 08-30465
Despite the wide use of essential oils in pharmaceutical and food industry as antimicrobial agents, their use as wood preservatives has not been fully explored. In this study, 12 essential oils were screened in nutrient medium for their antifungal activity against 8 common mould, sapstain or decay fungi. Subsequently, one essential oil, eugenol was evaluated for decay resistance in an agar/wood ...
T Singh, C Chittenden


Effect of amphiphilic antioxidant alkyl ammonium ascorbate on inhibition of fungal growth: Application to wood preservatives formulation
2008 - IRG/WP 08-30466
Amphiphilic surfactants were synthesized from ascorbic acid and different fatty amines and evaluated for formulation of wood preservation products. Characterization of physicochemical properties of the new compounds indicated classical behavior of cationic surfactants. Antioxidant properties, estimated using methyl linoleate oxidation inhibition method, were similar to that of ascorbic acid teste...
C Gérardin , T Koumbi Mounanga, P Gérardin


Effect of wood polymers degradation during heat treatment on extracellular enzymatic activities involved in beech degradation by Trametes versicolor
2008 - IRG/WP 08-40392
Effect of heat treatment on extracellular enzymes involved in wood degradation by Trametes versicolor was investigated. Heat-treated and untreated beech blocks were exposed to T. versicolor on malt agar medium and extracellular enzymatic activities investigated. A strong ABTS oxidizing activity has been detected during the first stage of colonization in both cases, while cellulase activities are m...
S Lekounougou, G Nguila Inari, M Pétrissans, S Dumarçay, J P Jacquot, E Gelhaye, P Gérardin


Improvement of the Fungal Resistance of Japanese Cedar by the ThermoWood Process
2008 - IRG/WP 08-40422
The effect of the ThermoWood Process on sapwood of the Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica, was investigated. Seven matched specimens were cut from a sapwood board of Japanese cedar and subjected to thermal treatments according to the ThermoWood Process. The decay resistance and chemical and physical properties of the treated specimens and untreated specimen were investigated. The decay test wa...
I Momohara, T Morita, S Shouho, A Yamaguchi


The Effects of Solar Radiation on the Fungal Colonization and Color of Weathered Wood
2008 - IRG/WP 08-10676
Solar radiation rapidly depolymerizes lignin at wood surfaces exposed outdoors producing a suite of low molecular weight aromatic compounds within weathered wood. Fungi colonizing weathered wood are able to metabolize these aromatic compounds, and many of them also contain high levels of melanin to protect themselves from the harmful effects of UV radiation. Both of these adaptations suggest that ...
V Hernandez, C Breuil, P D Evans


Discovering anti-fungal agents in New Zealand native plants for use in wood protection
2009 - IRG/WP 09-10692
Extracts from Hinau (Elaeocarpus dentatus) leaves were tested in the laboratory for antifungal activity. In addition, the anatomical structure of the leaf was also examined by a combination of light and scanning electron microscopy. Chemical characterisation of the extracts and investigation into potential use of its components for wood protection is underway. A combination of light microscopy (...
C Rickard, T Singh, A Singh, R Newman


The effect of different foundation systems against fungal flora in the crawl space of a new wooden Japanese house
2009 - IRG/WP 09-10700
In order to establish novel preventive measures against damage of wooden houses by decay fungi with less-use or no-use of chemicals, we periodically monitored the fungal flora in the crawl space of a new wooden Japanese house build with recyclable and low-environmental load materials at the Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University. We employed either a layer of concrete or...
A Toyoumi, S Horisawa, T Yoshimura, S Doi,Y Imamura


Postia placenta gene expression of oxidative and carbohydrate metabolism related genes during growth in furfurylated wood
2009 - IRG/WP 09-10701
A range of studies the last decade have shown that modified wood can provide excellent protection against a range of wood deteriorating organisms, including decay fungi. However, we still lack information about why the modified wood is protected from microbial attack. Several hypotheses have been put forward e.g. inhibition of action of specific enzymes, but they still need testing. An understandi...
G Alfredsen, C G Fossdal


Durability and fungal colonisation patterns in wood samples after six years in soil contact evaluated with qPCR, microscopy, TGA, chitin- and ergosterol assays
2009 - IRG/WP 09-20402
There is a need to establish new objective and sensitive methods for early detection and quantification of decay fungi in wood materials. Molecular methods have proven to be a useful tool within wood protection issues, however, this field is still poorly explored and so far relatively few have used these methods within the field of wood deterioration. Among the techniques used in the indirect quan...
A Pilgård, G Alfredsen, I Børja, C Björdal


Effect of Preservative Treatment on Fungal Colonization of Teak, Redwood, and Western Red Cedar
2009 - IRG/WP 09-20404
Fungal flora present in preservative treated samples or non-treated samples from sapwood and heartwood of teak, western red cedar, redwood, and southern yellow pine was assessed after 6 to 18 months of exposure near Hilo, Hawaii. The objectives were to compare fungal composition and diversity between treated and non-treated samples, and to examine the use of molecular techniques for assessing fung...
Y Cabrera, C Freitag, J J Morrell


Fungal decay resistance and durability of wood products made from borax-impregnated wood and bonded with corn starch and tannin adhesive
2009 - IRG/WP 09-30494
At present, the production of wood composites mainly relies on the petrochemical-based and formaldehyde-based adhesives such as phenol formaldehyde (PF) resins and urea formaldehyde (UF) resins, which are non-renewable and therefore ultimately limited in supply. This paper concerns the decay resistance of wood products bonded with a new, environment-friendly adhesive derived from abundant and rene...
A Moubarik, A Pizzi, A Allal, F Charrier, B Charrier


Potential synergy between natural product extracts for limiting fungal decay
2009 - IRG/WP 09-30495
Natural products often exhibit tremendous potential for inhibiting various microorganisms when they are tested in petri dish tests, but perform poorly when tested in vivo. The failures can often be attributed to a lack of broad spectrum activity against the range of organisms present in a natural environment. One method for overcoming this challenge is to use extracts from a number of sources with...
M Maoz, C Freitag, J J Morrell


Effect of juglone from Juglans mandshurica bark activity of wood decay fungi
2009 - IRG/WP 09-30502
Juglone was extracted from Juglans mandshurica bark via vacuum-assisted steam stripping. The extract was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The extraction process was easy to perform and produced excellent yields (0.22 g juglone/100 g of bark) of a high purity extract (96.42% juglone...
Dongmei Yang, Shuangyue Li, Shujun Li, Wenqiang Su, Yan Jin, Molong Sun


Potential of antifungal and antitermitic activity of several essential oils
2009 - IRG/WP 09-30515
In the recent years, there has been an increasing concern regarding the safety of wood preservatives. Many research groups have examined the potential of essential oils as biocide based on their biological activity. This paper described the antitermitic and antifungal activity of twenty four essential oils from different plant species. The termicidal activity was carried out with a no-choice test...
N Amusant, M-F Thévenon, N Leménager, E Wozniak


Fungal Attack on Lignin and Cellulose: Elucidation of Brown- and White-Rot Mechanisms Comparing Biomimetic and In-Vivo Degradation Patterns
2010 - IRG/WP 10-10714
This paper examines research and hypotheses that have been developed over several years on wood degradation mechanisms. This information is combined with new data and analyses to explain why wood decay patterns caused by brown-rot fungi and specific types of white-rot fungi are different. New data, including work with both biomimetic studies on low molecular weight compounds, degradative enzymes, ...
V Arantes, B Goodell, A M F Milagres, Yuhui Qian, T Filley, J Jellison, S Kelley


Seasonal shifts of fungal community structure at the interface of treated or untreated wood and soil
2010 - IRG/WP 10-10721
Many wood species are degraded rapidly in soil by the fungal community. In order to preserve wood and structures in which it is used, chemical preservatives are used. Little is known about the interaction of treated wood and the surrounding soil fungal community. For this work, presented at IRG 41, wooden specimens (Pinus sylvestris sapwood, sizes 25 mm x 50 mm x 500 mm (longitudinal)) were treate...
M Noll, I Stephan


Frequency of fungal decay in softwood windows in Germany
2010 - IRG/WP 10-10725
Knowing how often fungal decay occurs is a fundamental basis for general recommendations of preservative measures. To optimize the German recommendations for chemical wood preservation of windows made out of pine or spruce more than 2000 windows have been inspected. All windows had an opaque coating and were between 2 and 17 years old. The selection of the inspected windows was kept as randomly as...
D Lukowsky, O Moarcas, A Luette


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