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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #361055
Research Project: Evaluation of the Chemical and Physical Properties of Low-Value Agricultural Crops and Products to Enhance Their Use and Value

Location: Functional Foods Research

Title: Effect of burgundy solid extracted from eastern red cedar on subterranean termites and wood-decay fungi

Author
item Eller, Fred

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2019
Publication Date: 5/8/2019
Citation: Eller, F.J. 2019. Effect of burgundy solid extracted from eastern red cedar on subterranean termites and wood-decay fungi [abstract]. American Oil Chemists Society Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Eastern red cedar (ERC) is an abundant resource in the U.S. and has been investigated for the extraction of cedarwood oil (CWO) and CWO bioactivity, particularly its use to protect wood against termites and decay fungi. Methanol extraction of ERC sawdust gives a burgundy oil (BO). This BO contains CWO and a burgundy solid (BS). Evidence indicates the BS itself has inhibitory bioactivity. This study investigated the wood preservation properties of BS alone, in combination with CWO and in conjunction with an amylose inclusion complex (AIC) against termites, brown-rot decay fungi and white-rot decay fungi. Wood was treated by vacuum impregnation and tested for resistance to termites and four species of decay fungi. The AIC made wood less palatable and more toxic to termites but did not inhibit the brown-rot fungi or the white-rot T. versicolor but did inhibit the white-rot I. lacteus. The CWO led to both lower termite mass loss and higher termite mortality and had an inhibitory effect on the white-rot decay fungi. However, it took a combination of AIC and CWO to have an inhibitory effect on the brown-rot fungi. The BS had a minor inhibitory effect on termites but did not inhibit the brown-rot fungi or the white-rot I. lacteus. It did, however, inhibit the white-rot T. versicolor. Wood blocks vacuum impregnated with the combination of the AIC, CWO and BS resulted in the highest termite mortality, and the lowest percentage wood mass losses for the termites and all four wood decay fungi species studied.