Low molecular weight oxidative decay agents have been implicated in the degradation of wood by brown-rot decay as evidenced by chemical analysis of brown-rotted wood and detection of oxalic acid and hydroxy radicals. Fenton chemistry (H2O2 / Fe++) is often proposed as the mechanism for generating hydroxy radicals. Previous authors have shown iron to enhance the brown-rot hydrolysis of wood, while others have shown suppression of brown-rot by organic and inorganic metal chelators. We have attempted to inhibit brown-rot and white-rot decay of southern pine and maple wood blocks in a series of soil block decay tests using a variety of chemicals targeted specifically at key components of proposed brown-rot mechanisms. Included in these tests were inorganic and organic chelators, calcium coordinating compounds, wood binding dyes, microbial siderophores and common antioxidants -- some previously tested. All chemicals were screened at 1% aqueous (w/v). Only 2 of 28 compounds were effective in significantly reducing wood weight loss by all fungi tested in 12 weeks: napthaloylhydroxylamine (NHA) -- a calcium precipitating agent; and ruthenium red (RR) -- a pectin stain. Both compounds bind preferentially to pit tori and ray parenchyma cells as observed by light microscopy. Targetting the woody substrate for inhibition of decay looks more promising than targetting fungal physiology

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