Abstract
The anti-fungal activities of oxyresveratrol (2,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxystilbene) against the white-rot fungi Coriolus versicolor and Phellinus linteus, and the brown-rot fungus Fomitopsis palustris, were compared with those of phenol, polyphenols and resveratrol in relation to their structures. The results indicated that a hydroxyl group in the 2 position of oxyresveratrol seems to play a critical role in inhibiting mycelial growth of wood-rot fungi. The anti-fungal activity of oxyresveratrol could be the result of its effective disturbance of the cell wall structure of wood-rot fungi because of its greater hemolytic and albumin coagulation activities than those of other phenols. A callus-like cell aggregate was frequently found in the mycelia of C. versicolor and F. palustris incubated in a liquid culture with oxyresveratrol by electron microscopic observation. P. linteus seemed to be less sensitive to oxyresveratrol than C. versicolor and F. palustris.
