Extracts and compounds from the sawdust and stem bark of
Erythrophleum suaveolens were studied for antifungal activity. The plant materials were extracted using
hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol to obtain the crude extracts. Column chromatography over
silica gel was used to purify the extracts and obtain pure compounds. Betulin and 21-acetoxylupenone were obtained from the stem bark and cycloeucalenol from the sawdust. The
compounds were very active on most of the fungi with zones of inhibition between 18 to 23
mm. Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) was highest at 50 μg/mL against
Aspergillus fumigatus
,
Coniophora puteana
,
Fibroporia vaillantii
,
Fomitopsis pinicoca
,
Gloeophyllum sepiarium
,
Phaeolus schweinitzii
and
Rhizopus
spp. whereas antifungal activity was least at
MFC of 200 μg/mL. The study demonstrated that
E. suaveolens stem bark and sawdust isolates
possess antifungal activity and could be used in the control of the soft-rot, brown-rot, wet rot
and white-rot of wood and diseases caused by wood fungi.
