The Atlas cedar, Cedrus atlantica is a resinous species of Pinaceae originated from North Africa and well known for its noble timber. This work was conducted to assess the natural durability of its wood, to study the chemical composition of essential oil extracted from its sawdust wood and to test the bioactivity of this essential oil against four wood decaying fungi: Gloeophyllum trabeum, Oligoporus placenta, Coniophora puteana and Trametes versicolor. The assessment of natural durability of wood was conducted according to the methods described in the European standards, CEN/TS 15083-1 and NF EN 350-1. Mass losses of wood specimens, after 16 weeks of exposure to fungi attack, in laboratory test, showed that Cedrus atlantica wood is very durable to durable against wood decay fungi attack. The extraction of essential oil from sawdust by hydro-distillation yielded about 3,35% and the chemical analysis of this essential oil by GC-MS showed that E-γ-Atlantone (19,73%); E-α-Atlantone (16,86%), 5-Isocedranol (11,68%); 9-iso-Thujopsanone (4,45%); Cedranone (4,13%) and Z α-Atlantone (4,02%) were the main major identified components. The antifungal activity tested by the direct contact technique on agar medium showed a strong inhibition of wood decaying fungi, especially Gloeophyllum trabeum inhibited at 1/1000 v/v concentration.

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Testing environmentaly-friendly plant essential oils for their ability to protect non-durable wood against wood decay fungi is a research topic of current interest. In this study, wood preservative potential of extracts from the wood of the durable species, Tetraclinis articulata and Cedrus atlantica were assessed on non-durable maritime pine sapwood, Pinus pinaster var atlantica, after exposure to three wood decay fungi, according to the EN 113 Standard. Significant differences were observed between treatment effects of these extracts, between fungal decay levels and between oils concentrations. Overall, mean mass losses of treated wood specimens were above 8%. T. articulata root burl extract gave the best protection level for this type of wood against Gleophyllum trabeum and Rhodonia placenta but only at test concentrations above 0.1%v/v. However, efficacy levels of both extracts’ treatments, applied at the tested concentrations, were judged insufficient on the basis of the NF EN 113 standard used.

The coniferous tree, Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Masters, commonly known as Barbary thuya is endemic to the western Mediterranean areas. Its woods, mainly root burl, were very appreciated by artisans for their natural beauty, homogeneity and good quality destined for marquetry and furniture. Use of essential oils (EOs) of this species opens a second way for valorization in many fields as bioactive agents. EOs were extracted, by hydrodistillation from sawdust and leaves samples originated from two thuya populations, and analyzed by GC-MS. Yields of EOs varied greatly depending on biomass type and samples origin. EOs of leaves are dominated by monoterpens, and contain α-pinene, camphor, and bornyl acetate as major compounds. Those of woods are however rich in sesquiterpens, and contain 3-tera-butyl-4-methoxyphenol, thymol, cedrol, and α-cedrene as major compounds. Antifungal bioassay, by direct contact in malt-agar medium, of these EOs conducted on four wood decaying fungi, showed that root burl wood EOs possess the best antifungal inhibitory power related to their richness in phenols (above 64%), followed by those of trunk wood; while leaves EOs showed, however a less antifungal activity. Such antifungal potency of wood thuya EOs allows us to recommend the use of these oils extracted from sawdust as preservative agents for less durable woods.