Blepharocalyx, Nectandra and Piper essential oils: activity on wood-decay fungi

Abstract

The search for natural products that can replace synthetic wood preservatives is growing. Among these products are essential oils (EOs). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of EOs from Blepharocalyx salicifolius , Nectandra grandiflora , Nectandra megapotamica and Piper gaudichaudianum on the wood-rotting fungi Trametes versicolor and Gloeophyllum trabeum. The EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation and chemically characterized. The antifungal activity of the EOs was evaluated by the Petri dish diffusion test. The inhibition verification was calculated using ImageJ® software. The major components of the EOs of B. salicifolius and P. gaudichaudianum were eucalyptol and dillapiol, respectively. Bicyclogermacrene was the major constituent of N. megapotamica leaves essential oil (EO), while dehydrofuquinone was the major constituent of the EOs from N. grandiflora leaves and fruits. The highest growth inhibition of T. versicolor was caused by N. megapotamica EO, with 31.4%. The highest inhibition percentages of G. trabeum growth were provided by P. gaudichaudianum and B. salicifolius extractives, with 13.9 and 7.5%, respectively. However, the result of the latter did not differ from the other EOs evaluated. The results indicated that, from the extractives of Nectandra species, the greatest effect on T. versicolor was detected to N. megapotamica EO. However, this genus was not so efficient against G. trabeum.