Holzforschung 2018; aop
Marcelo F. da Silveira*, Fernando N. Gouveia, Alessandro C.O. Moreira, José Roberto V. Oliveira,
Anna Sofya V.S. Silva, Getúlio F. Almeida and Alexandre F. Costa
Natural resistance of eight Brazilian wood species
from the region Caatinga determined by an
accelerated laboratory decay test against four fungi
https://doi.org/10.1515/hf-2018-0051
Received March 20, 2018; accepted July 24, 2018; previously
­published online xx
Abstract: Natural resistance of eight wood species from
Caatinga, an exclusive Brazilian biome, was evaluated
according to [ASTM Standard (2005) D 2017-05. Standard
test method of accelerated laboratory test of natural decay
resistance of woods.]. Samples were exposed to white rot
(WR) and brown rot (BR) fungi, namely to Trametes ver-
sicolor (WR), Pycnoporus sanguineus (WR), Gloeophyllum
trabeum (BR) and Gloeophyllum striatum (BR). Weight
loss, specific gravity and extractive content of each wood
species were evaluated. Diptychandra aurantiaca, Ptero-
don abruptus and Terminalia fagifolia were classified as
“highly resistant”, while T. fagifolia was “resistant” to
T. versicolor only. Machaerium acutifolium was resistant to
all fungi. Aspidosperma multiflorum was resistant to WR
fungi and Combretum glaucocarpum to a BR fungus. The
species Pityrocarpa moniliformis and Swartzia psilonema
were moderately resistant.
Keywords: brown rot fungi, Caatinga wood species,
extractive content, natural resistance, specific gravity,
weight loss, white rot fungi
*Corresponding author: Marcelo F. da Silveira, Department of
Biodeterioration and Preservation, Forest Products Laboratory,
Brazilian Forest Service, 70818-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil,
e-mail: Marcelo.silveira@florestal.gov.br. http://orcid.org/0000-
0003-3620-7508
Fernando N. Gouveia, José Roberto V. Oliveira, Anna Sofya V.S.
Silva and Getúlio F. Almeida: Department of Biodeterioration and
Preservation, Forest Products Laboratory, Brazilian Forest Service,
70818-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil. http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2807-
205X (F.N. Gouveia)
Alessandro C.O. Moreira: Department of Chemistry, Forest Products
Laboratory, Brazilian Forest Service, 70818-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil
Alexandre F. Costa: Department of Forest Engineering, University of
Brasília, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil
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Introduction
The Forest Products Laboratory (LPF) of the Brazilian
Forest  Service (SFB) investigated the properties of hard-
wood species from the unique Brazilian biome, the Caat-
inga. This vegetation is a xerophyte, deciduous plant
formation that occupies more than 50% of northeast-
ern Brazil. This biome has a high biological and cultural
diversity, including several endemic species of plants and
animals (Araújo et al. 2007). Unfortunately, the Caatinga is
not only one of the most endangered biomes in Brazil, but
also the least studied one (Ibama 2011). Despite its great
diversity, the region’s inhabitants generally use their wood
resource for firewood or to build primitive structures, like
fences and shelters. A value-added external utilization
would be beneficial (Benevides et  al. 2007) especially of
those with higher natural resistance against biodegrada-
tion, such as against fungi, bacteria, insects and marine
borers (Dix and Webster 1995; Ramage et al. 2017).
Determining decay resistance is still not a trivial
matter because of the numerous parameters influencing
it, mainly due to the large variability within and among
trees, across sites, genetic origins and tree age (Gierlinger
et  al. 2003; Wong et  al. 2005; Nascimento et  al. 2013;
­Sundararaj et al. 2015; Råberg et al. 2017). The expectation
is that the determination of the natural decay resistance of
Caatinga wood species in laboratory tests may contribute
to their value-added utilization.
Materials and methods
Wood species and sampling: Five trees of the following wood species
were evaluated: Aspidosperma multiflorum A.DC. (Pequiá cascudo),
Combretum glaucocarpum Mart. (Sipaúba), Diptychandra auranti-
aca Tul. (Birro branco), Machaerium acutifolium Vogel (Coração-
de-negro), Pityrocarpa moniliformis (Benth.) Luckow & R.W. Jobson
(Rama-de-bezerro), Pterodon abruptus (Moric.) Benth. (Amarelo),
Swartzia psilonema Harms (Jacarandá-sangue) and Terminalia fagi-
folia Mart. (Chapada). The material was collected in the municipality
of Lagoa do Sítio, the central-northern region of the state of Piauí/
Brazil, in an area belonging to the Caatinga-type forest cover.
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2      M.F. da Silveira et al.: Decay resistance of Brazilian wood species

Accelerated laboratory test: In the review by Van Acker et al. (1999),
the evaluation of natural durability using different methods is dis-
cussed. The authors conclude that wood can be well characterized and
predicted in laboratory and accelerated tests. The accelerated labo-
ratory test according to ASTM D 2017 (2005) was applied with some
adaptations at the LPF/SFB. The trees were cut into boards, air dried
and sawed into blocks with dimensions of 25 × 25 × 9 mm3 in the radial,
tangencial and longitudinal sections (R × T × L). In total, 120 inner
heartwood blocks were randomly selected from each wood species, i.e.
30 samples per fungus. The specimens were conditioned to a constant
weight at 12% moisture content at 22 ± 2°C and 63 ± 2% relative humid-
ity (RH), before and after fungi attack.
Glass bottles (250  ml) were filled with 130 g of sieved B hori-
zon soil, prepared in accordance with ASTM D 1413-99 (1999). The
soil pH level was adjusted to 6 by the addition of limestone. The soil
was moistened to reach about 130% of its moisture holding capac-
ity. A feeder strip of Cecropia sp. or Pinus sp. (3 × 29 × 35  mm3) was
placed on the soil for exposure to white rot (WR) and brown rot (BR)
fungi, respectively. The WR fungi Trametes versicolor (Mad 697) and
Pycnoporus sanguineus (FP-103380) and the BR fungi Gloeophyllum
trabeum (Mad 617) and Gloeophyllum striatum (BKW 003) were pre-
pared in a malt extract solution. The solution was shaken at 150 rpm
at room temperature for 5 days, and then incubated at 25 ± 1°C and
73 ± 2% RH for 4 weeks before being blended in a mixer.
The bottles with the feeder strips were steam sterilized (121°C for
30 min) and cooled. Each bottle was inoculated with 3 ml of liquid
culture and incubated at 25 ± 1°C and 73 ± 2% RH for another 4 weeks,
until the feeder strips were covered by fungus. Wood samples were
placed into the bottles and incubated at 25 ± 1°C and 73 ± 2% RH
for up to 16  weeks. After exposure, the fungal mycelia were gently
removed and conditioned at 22 ± 2°C and 63 ± 2% RH to a constant
weight (difference less than 1% between weightings). The durability
classification is based on the difference between the initial and final
weight after fungal attack according to ASTM D 2017 (2005).
Specific gravity and extractive content: Some of the boards were
cut into samples with dimensions of 2 × 2 × 100  mm3 (R × T × L) for
determination of specific gravity according to COPANT Standard 461
(1972). For this test, 15  samples were evaluated per species, three
from each indicated tree. The extractive content was determined in
triplicate samples according to TAPPI Standard T 204 CM-07 (2007)
using toluene-ethanol (Dinâmica, Química Contemporânea LTDA.,
Indaiatuba, SP, Brazil) mixture (2:1) in Soxhlet extraction (Nova
Ética, Vargem Grande do Sul, SP, Brazil). Five tree disks from each
wood species were cut down at breast height. One wedge of each
disk was chopped and turned into sawdust in a Knife Mill (Splabor,
­Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil) to obtain the extractive content.
Statistical analysis: The Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test was
used for statistical analysis based on two treatments per fungi and
wood species at the 5% significance level. The non-parametric post
hoc analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of the extractive
content on natural decay resistance. All data analyses were executed
by means of SPSS v. 21 (IBM, New York, NY, USA).
Results and discussion
No correlation was found between the specific gravity
and the weight loss (WL) data. Concerning the extractive
content, there was a slight correlation with the WL data.
WL can be influenced by anatomical properties and the
chemical nature of the extractives (Reyes-Chilpa et  al.
1998; Celimene et al. 1999; Schwarze 2007; Carneiro et al.
2009; Donoso-Fierro et al. 2009; Paes et al. 2015). Shortly,
both morphology and biochemistry of the decay fungi

Table 1: Average specific gravity, extractive content, weight loss and natural decay resistance classification of eight Caatinga wood species.

Weight loss (%)

Spec. gravity Extr.
Wood species (g cm − 3) yield (%)b T. versicolor P. sanguineus G. trabeum G. striatum

Aspidosperma multiflorum 0.64 A

3.09 A
11.57a 14.96a 31.68b 28.13b
R R MR MR
Combretum glaucocarpum 0.73B 3.53A 44.86b 38.73b 22.62a 21.15a
MR MR R R
Diptychandra aurantiaca 0.80C 7.38B 2.49a 4.58b 3.77b 4.72b
HR HR HR HR
Machaerium acutifolium 0.90D 874BC 17.44a 14.41a 16.18a 12.41a
R R R R
Pityrocarpa moniliformis 0.70B 3.61A 35.14ab 33.76ab 37.60b 29.94a
MR MR MR MR
Pterodon abruptus 0.75B 9.31C 5.90ab 7.63b 5.54a 8.83b
HR HR HR HR
Swartzia psilonema 0.81C 4.00A 33.95b 28.19a 28.25a 31.81ab
MR MR MR MR
Terminalia fagifolia 0.96E 13.54D 10.82b 5.20a 4.55a 3.99a
R HR HR HR

The same letter in weight loss rows indicates that they do not differ statistically from each other by the peer comparison test at the 5% probability
level. The same letter in specific gravity and extractive content indicates that they do not differ statistically from each other by the peer
comparison test at the 5% probability level. HR, Highly resistant; R, resistant; MR, moderate resistance; NR, not resistant (ASTM D 2017, 2005).

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 M.F. da Silveira et al.: Decay resistance of Brazilian wood species      3
may affect the WLs (Eaton and Hale 1993; Carlile et  al.
2001).
Laboratory decay tests
In Table 1, specific gravity, extractive content, WLs and
the classification concerning natural decay resistance are
presented. According to the laboratory decay tests, the
most resistant species are D. aurantiaca and P. abruptus.
Their WL values are below 10%, either for WR and BR
fungi. These good results are due to the synergistic effect
of the extractive content and specific gravity. Terminalia
fagifolia could also be classified as highly resistant due to
its average WL <10%. It is highly resistant to BR fungi, but
when exposed to the WR fungus T. versicolor, the WL was
14.1%, which permits the classification as resistant. The
genus Terminalia is known to have secondary metabolites
with antifungal properties (Garcez et al. 2003, 2006; Ayres
and Chaves 2010). Despite its high specific gravity and
high extractive content (8.7%), M. acutifolium could only
be classified as resistant to BR and WR fungi. Its extrac-
tives seem to be less efficient than those of the highly
resistant wood species in this study.
Aspidosperma multiflorum was also resistant to WR
fungi despite a low amount of extractives (3.1%). Prob-
ably, the antifungal alkaloids in its extractives are respon-
sible for this finding (Gilbert et al. 1965; Bolzani et al. 1987;
Chi-Yin and Chen-Loung 1991). Nevertheless, the alkaloids
were not effective against the BR fungi G. trabeum (WL
31.7%) and G. striatum (WL 8.1%), and thus the classifica-
tion resulted in the adjective “moderately resistant”.
Tannins are widely known to have antifungal activity
against BR fungi (Laks and McKaig 1988; Scalbert et  al.
1998; Anttila et  al. 2013). Combretum glaucocarpum, a
species rich in tannins (Itakura et al. 1987), was expectedly
classified as resistant to BR fungi. But against WR fungi,
it was only moderately resistant. Accordingly, the tannins
of C. glaucocarpum do not protect against T. ­versicolor (WL
44.9%) and P. sanguineus (WL 38.7%). The wood species
S. psilonema and P. moniliformis were classified as moder-
ately resistant to both WR and BR fungi.
Conclusion
Diptychandra aurantiaca, P. abruptus and T. fagifolia
were the highest resistant species among the investigated
species. In contrast, P. moniliformis and S. psilonema had
the lowest natural durability among the studied species.
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In general, species with higher extractive content showed
better decay resistance. As expected, specific gravity did
not influence the natural wood resistance against BR and
WR fungi.
Acknowledgments: The authors are grateful to all
researchers and technicians involved in this project, as
well as Daniel Silva Barcellos for the English revision of
this manuscript. We would like to thank the Brazilian
Forest Service (SFB) for the opportunity to study these
species.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted
responsibility for the entire content of this submitted
manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
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