Control of Wood Decay Fungi by Brominated Furanones

Growth of fungi on lumber can result in costly structural damage, loss of building materials due to rot, as well as detrimental impacts on the indoor air quality. Recent discoveries have shown that brominated furanones from marine red alga have remarkable activities against the colonization of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes; thus, they are promising reagents for fungal control. In this study, the effects of natural and synthetic furanones on the growth of three fungal species that commonly cause white and brown rot of North American timber were examined.

The growth of six fungal strains, Gloeophyllum trabeum (GT598 and GT599), Chaetomium globosum (wildtype and CG572), and Trametes versicolor (TV7B2-59 and TV57MAD277), in the presence and absence of brominated furanones, was evaluated. Furanones were found to inhibit the growth of all the six strains studied. The results indicate that brominated furanones are effective at preventing the fungal growth at concentrations as low as 1 µg/mL.