Composition, Antimicrobial, Anti-Inflammatory, and Potential Neuroprotective Activities of Volatile Oils in Solid Wood Boards from Different Tree Ages of Cryptomeria japonica

The wood of Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar or sugi) is widely used in building and adornment. This study aims to identify the composition of the volatile oils (VOs) extracted from C. japonica solid wood boards by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, and to investigate their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and potential neuroprotective activities. A total of 58 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified in the VOs from C. japonica solid wood boards with tree ages of 40, 50, and 60 years (VO-40, 50, and 60), with sandaracopimarinol (13.74-17.59%), ferruginol (10.23-11.29%), abieta-7,13-diene (8.20-13.66%), (+)-delta-cadinene (7.15-9.27%), cis-cubenol (4.36-6.36%), and sandaracopimarinal (3.23-6.04%) as major compounds. The VOs exhibited antifungal potential, especially VO-50 against Aspergillus fumigatus (MIC = 0.312 mg/mL), and VO-60 against Gloeophyllum trabeum (MIC = 1.25 mg/mL). However, VOs exhibited weak antibacterial activity (MIC > 10 mg/mL). Additionally, VOs (10 mu g/mL) exhibited anti-inflammatory and potential neuroprotective activities, with VO-60 demonstrating the strongest inhibition of NO (25.79% reduction), TNF-alpha (52.24% reduction), and IL-6 (27.10% reduction) production in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells, while increasing cell viability by 70.36% and reducing lactate dehydrogenase release by 41.10% in corticosterone-induced PC12 cells. Correlation and docking analyses revealed that sandaracopimarinal, sandaracopimarinol, beta-eudesmol, and ferruginol were the potential active compounds. The results demonstrated that the volatile components from C. japonica solid wood boards not only enhance the board's decay resistance, but also exhibit therapeutic potential for inflammatory disorders and neuropathic diseases.