ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF SELECTED WOOD-DEGRADING FUNGI OF RUBBERWOOD

The persistent use of boron compounds is of environmental concern and has resulted in the need to search for alternative approach for the preservation of rubberwood, especially using natural resources. Filamentous fungi are major sources of bioactive secondary metabolites that are currently gaining importance for their biochemical application. A total of 12 filamentous fungi from Malaysian forest were evaluated for antifungal activities against selected wood-degrading fungi of rubberwood. Antifungal assays included radial growth inhibition by food poison technique and mycelia growth inhibition by broth dilution assay. Comparison between the efficiency of methanolic and water extract was also studied. Data indicated that the majority of wood-degrading fungi tested were susceptibility to mycelia extract. All species of wood-degrading fungi tested showed inhibition towards methanolic extracts of Schizophyllum commune and Pycnoporus sanguineus. Results indicated that methanolic extract provided better antifungal activity against wood-degrading fungi as compared with water extract. Bioactive compounds such as glycerine, triacetin, 2,3-dihydro-3, 5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-one, 2(3H)-furanone-5-heptyldihydro- and methyl-alpha-D-galactopyranoside were found in fungal extract.