Avaliação da eficácia do extrato aquoso da erva-de-passarinho (Struthanthus spp.) da Amazônia na proteção da madeira comercial marupá (Simarouba amara) frente ao ataque do fungo Lentinus crinitus.

Abstract

The study evaluated the efficacy of the aqueous extract of mistletoe (Struthanthus spp.) in protecting marupá wood (Simarouba amara) against the xylophagous fungus Lentinus crinitus. To this end, marupá wood samples were divided into two groups: a treated group with prior immersion in 5% aqueous extract for 72 hours and an untreated control group. Both groups were incubated with the fungus for 120 days under laboratory conditions. The results demonstrated that the treated wood samples showed significantly lower mass loss compared to the untreated controls, with statistical difference at the 95% confidence level (p < 0.05). This protective effect was attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds, such as triterpenes and phenols, present in the plant, which act by inhibiting fungal enzymes responsible for wood cell wall degradation. It is concluded that the aqueous extract of mistletoe has potential as a natural, ecological, renewable, and lowcost preservative, being a viable alternative to synthetic chemical preservatives for woody species with low natural durability, such as marupá.