IMPROVEMENT OF BIOCONVERSION SUITABILITY OF JAPANESE CYPRESS WOOD BY COMBINATION OF UV RADIATION, OZONIZATION AND DECAY TREATMENT WITH WHITE-ROT AND BROWN-ROT FUNGI

摘要

The present study is the first report for decay treatment of Japanses cypress wood by white-rot and brown-rot fungi. Japanese cypress is well-known as a refractory wood. Investigation of pretreatments to increase the fragility of Japanese cypress wood should aid with development of techniques to overcome the durability of any wood material. In the present study, the effects of ultraviolet (UV)/ozone exposure and decay treatment using the white-rot fungus Ceriporiopsis subvermispora and brown-rot fungus Wolfiporia cocos with or without addition of linoleic acid were investigated. The proportion of the 'available component' (potential substrate for bioconversion) of Japanese cypress wood particles increased from 9% to 27% in the decay treatment using W. cocos for 2 months after UV/ozone exposure. UV/ozone exposure and addition of linoleic acid in the decay treatment were both effective for enhancing its suitability for bioconversion. Further optimization of a method combining C. subvermispora and W. cocos treatment has great potential for shortening the treatment period and/or improvement of the suitability of Japanese cypress wood for bioconversion.