An advanced wood preservative based on the extract of Stellera chamaejasme root with high antifungal activity

Natural environmental preservatives are widely used in wooden building materials due to their low toxicity, renewable, and degradable properties. Inspired by the long-lasting durability of Tibetan paper, we propose for the first time to fill the pores of wood materials with the extract of Stellera chamaejasme root to improve their fungal resistance. The extract not only inhibits the secretion of lignin degrading enzymes by fungi but also inhibits the growth of fungal hyphae. Therefore, the growth inhibition rates of wood rot and mold fungi both reach 100% when the concentration of the extract is higher than 0.75%. The composite wood treated with Stellera chamaejasme extract has good fungal resistance. The mass loss rate of composite wood is only 5.26% at 22 °C for 12 weeks during a relative humidity (RH) of 75%, which is 49.34% lower than that of the blank sample. Excellent fungal resistance and easy-to-industrial modification method are beneficial for the further commercialization of wood building materials.

Extract of Stellera chamaejasme root can significantly improve the wood’s ability to resist decay and mold.