Natural durability of the culturally and historically important timber: Erythrophleum fordii wood against white-rot fungi

The natural resistance of Erythrophleum fordii Oliver wood to degradation by Phanerochaete sordida and Phanerochaete chrysosporium white-rot fungi was investigated. In this study, Fagus crenata Blume (Japanese beech) was selected as reference species. The results showed that both fungi caused less than 2% mass loss in E. fordii wood, while the degradation of beech wood produced by P. chrysosporium and P. sordida was approximately 12 and 14%, respectively. Microscopic observations revealed high structural rigidity of E. fordii timber. Hyphae were only observed in the lumen of vessels and parenchymal cells, while the fibers were not affected. The E. fordii wood fiber consisted of highly lignified thick-walled fibers with the fiber lumina almost completely closed. Two-dimensional heteronuclear single-quantum coherence nuclear magnetic resonance evaluation revealed the E. fordii wood to have a highly condensed-lignin structure that reflected by the durability classes. These unique parameters are likely to be critical for the high natural resistance of E. fordii.