WOOD RESEARCH Volume 71, Number 1, 2026
CARLOS ALBERTO URTIS-FLORES, MAURO MANUEL MARTÍNEZ-PACHECO, REBECA DEL CARMEN PEÑA-MONTES, and Crisanto Velázquez-Becerra

The Identification of Xylophagous Fungi and Evaluation of Mechanical Damage in Preserved Wood

In this study, seven xylophagous fungi (Trametes; Trichoderma A1; Trichoderma A2; Aspergillus; Paecilomyces; Coniochaeta; Gloeophyllum) were exposed to wood preserved with CCA salts, boric acid, and a polyphenolic extract (ExPol). The results showed a prevalence of xylophagous fungi that affects the use of wood. Changes in physical parameters such as mass are accompanied by changes in mechanical properties; variation in weight losses went from 12.69-20.42 %, 6.13-19.70 % and 6.38-23.68% for CCA, H3BO3 and ExPol respectively. In conclusion, variations in response to the preservatives were shown for each microorganism due the fact that metabolism is not the same because they use the substrate components or polymers in different ways for growth, being Expol the best option to inhibit Trametes, Trichoderma A2 and Aspergillus, there’s not much difference between CCA and H3BO3 for the control of the rest of the organisms but both are better alternative than ExPol to inhibit their growth.

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 68, Number 4, 2023
Tania Méndez-Pérez, Ma. del Carmen Chávez-Parga, Jared Maya-Alavez, Crisanto Velázquez-Becerra, Jaime Espino-Valencia, José Apolinar-Cortés, and Mauro M. Martínez-Pacheco

Stain Fungi Control in Pinus sp. Wood with Silica mesoporous Particles Loaded with Essential Oils

The use of essential oils (EO) carried onto mesoporous silica particles (MSPs) was tested to control pinewood stains. Three types of MSPs were synthesized and physicochemically characterized with N2 physisorption (type IV), X-ray diffraction [Miller indices (100), (110), (200)], scanning electron microscopy, zeta potential (negative values), dynamic light scattering (< 200 nm) and thermogravimetric analysis (5% to 10% weight loss). A response surface design was used to find the EO loading conditions to control stain, the latter was measured as colour change with the CIEDE2000 formula. The essential oil loading onto MSPC was physicochemically confirmed by a weight loss of 47% in the thermogravimetric analysis. The Citrus, Syzygium sp. and Tagetes sp. oils carried onto mesoporous particles MSPC (30:1 w/w) controlled the pinewood stain caused by Alternaria sp. and Geosmithia sp. This was demonstrated by the absence of pigmentation and scarce fungal growth.