Fresh Twigs Research Articles

Properties of Natural Materials as Alternative to Nylon Bristles – An Exploratory Study for Reduction of Polymer Usage

Background: Nylon bristles are the most commonly used type of bristle in toothbrushes, but they have both advantages and disadvantages. Nylon bristles can be too hard or abrasive for some people's teeth and gums. Nylon is not biodegradable and can harbor bacteria if not cleaned properly. Aims: In order to explore the possibility of using natural fibers this study was conducted. Materials and Methods: Twigs of neem, banyan, babool and miswak were purchased as fresh twigs, wiped clean, hammered on a hard wood base to obtain fibers of desired lengths. Physical appearance, Bend Recovery, Folding Endurance and Antibacterial adhesion against B. Subtilis were evaluated. All experiments were performed as triplicate and mean and standard deviation were reported. Results: Digital microscopy showed well defined fibers of fairly constant diameter, apparent from the superimposed scale. Results of bend recovery analysis showed that miswak fibers were flexible and recovery was good. Folding Endurance test showed miswak and banyan were having great folding endurance. Bacterial adhesion with B. Subtilis was heavy in all fibres. The antibacterial activity of four extracts showed that all groups had identifiable antimicrobial activity at 2000 µg concentrations. Conclusion: From results of the study, it can be inferred that miswak is the most suitable material to be used for fabricating bristles in its native form. Keywords: Babool, Banyan, Bristles, Natural Fibres; Neem Miswak.

Comparison of transmission of the pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, via two different pathways from Monochamus alternatus to host trees

Summary Bursaphelenchus xylophilus causes pine wilt disease and is transmitted to host trees by cerambycid adults of the genus Monochamus. There are two primary transmission pathways: via vector feeding wounds to healthy trees and via the oviposition wounds to dying or recently dead trees. To determine the ratio of nematodes transmitted via the different pathways, M. alternatus female adults were reared on Pinus densiflora fresh twig sections and wood pieces with the bark made favourable for oviposition. Transmission curves of B. xylophilus to twig sections were similar in shape to the nematode departure curves for each vector, whereas the transmission curves to wood pieces were dissimilar to the departure curves because of different age classes at the peak between the curves. Consequently, there was no similarity in shape between two transmission curves to twig sections and wood pieces. Of B. xylophilus transmitted to twig sections and wood pieces after vectors constructed the first oviposition wound, 38.7% was transmitted to twig sections and 61.3% to wood pieces. Using the results of present and previous studies, GLM analysis indicated that the probability of B. xylophilus transmission to twig sections was 0.481 and that B. xylophilus had a 9.7 times higher likelihood of feeding-related transmission to oviposition-related transmission than non-pathogenic B. mucronatus. Thus, the reproductively mature vectors are considered to be related to the incidence of pine wilt disease and dispersal studies on mature vectors would help to predict the expansion rate of areas affected by the disease in the current year.

Pterocarpus santalinoides and Pterocarpus mildbraedii Twigs Extracts Induced Changes on Early Stage Reproductive Chemistry of Male Oryctolagus cuniculus

Background: Male reproductive anomalies have been so challenging to humans that many synthetic drugs are presently produced to aid affected subjects. Financial impediments during treatments and possible adverse effects of synthetic drugs has necessitated the need for a natural alternative. This study investigates the role of Pterocarpus santaliniodes and Pterocarpus mildbraedii twigs extracts on early stage reproductive chemistry of male.
 Materials and Methods: Fresh twigs of P. santaliniodes and P. mildbraedii were separately destalked, washed, dried, pulverized and extracted using a Soxhlet extractor, with dichloromethane as solvent. The effect of the extracts on testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, sperm counts, motility and morphology of male Orytolagus cuniculus examined.
 Results: Testosterone was highest in 200 mg/kg body weight P. santalinoides extract treated animals with a value of 7.05 + 0.44 ng/mg while Luteinizing hormone and Follicle stimulating hormone were highest in 200 mg/kg body weight P. mildbraedii extracts treated animals with values of 3.91 + 0.22 ng/mg and 15.14 + 1.86 µl/ml respectively. Control had highest sperm counts (87 million sperm per milliliter), motility (90.00 + 4.00%) and morphology (9.00 + 1.00%).
 Conclusion: Early stage elevation of reproductive hormones by the extracts indicates a possible enhancement of reproductive chemistry on continuous use of extract.

Morphology and Phylogeny Reveal Three Montagnula Species from China and Thailand

Four stains were isolated from two fresh twigs of Helwingia himalaica and two dead woods during investigations of micro-fungi in China and Thailand. Phylogenetic analyses of four gene regions LSU, ITS, SSU and tef1-α revealed the placement of these species in Montagnula. Based on the morphological examination and molecular data, two new species, M. aquatica and M. guiyangensis, and a known species M. donacina are described. Descriptions and illustrations of the new collections and a key to the Montagnula species are provided. Montagnula chromolaenicola, M. puerensis, M. saikhuensis, and M. thailandica are discussed and synonymized under M. donacina.

How animal dung can help to reconstruct past forest use: a late Neolithic case study from the Mooswinkel pile dwelling (Austria)

Animal dung analyses are a useful tool for vegetational studies. Preserved ruminant dung from archaeological layers offers a unique possibility for the reconstruction of past fodder management strategies, and further for studying the impact of fodder acquisition and pasturing on forests. In this case study we investigate the impact of Late Neolithic livestock keeping on the forest around the “Mooswinkel” pile dwelling at the Austrian lake Mondsee through the analysis of botanical macroremains, insect remains as well as microhistological analyses of botanical remains in animal dung. Seasonal plant parts in the dung point out that cattle, goats, and/or sheep were evidently kept inside the settlement during the winter for protection. During the daytime, they were allowed to forage around the settlement. Winter fodder consisted of dried leaf hay, hay from grasses and herbs, male flowers of early blooming bushes, and fresh twigs of evergreen species, such as fir (Abies alba), ivy (Hedera helix), and mistletoe (Viscum album).

Are chewing sticks effective in decreasing oral malodour? A bioanalytical evaluation

‘Bad breath’ or ‘Halitosis’ is of significant concern to majority of the population resulting in various physiological and psycho-social effects. Bad breath is caused by Volatile sulphur Compounds (VSCs) formed through microbial degradation of proteinaceous material in the oral cavity. The most common of these VSCs are hydrogen sulphide (H2S), methyl mercaptan (CH3SH) and dimethyl sulphide (CH3)2S. The use of herbal chewing sticks for oral hygiene has been in practice traditionally among Indian population. Fresh twigs of neem, miswak, babool, arjun etc. are used of which, neem and miswak are more popular. Current study evaluates the efficacy of the use of chewing sticks made from neem (Azadirachta indica) and miswak (Salvadora persica) in decreasing oral malodor and compares the efficacy with that of using marketed toothpaste. Decrease in VSCs level can be a good indicator to evaluate the suitability of using herbal chewing stick in the management of oral hygiene. Present study has been conducted on voluntarily consented, healthy human male subjects (n = 6) with VSCs > 300 ng/mL in a three-way crossover, randomized sequence, with two days of washout period as interval between treatments. VSCs from mouth air are measured by Gas Chromatography (GC) fitted with a Flame photometric detector (FPD). The variations in VSCs before and after use of two types of chewing sticks are statistically compared with those after the use of marketed toothpaste.

Laboratory rearing of mango stem borer, Batocera rufomaculata De Geer using drumstick twigs

Studies were conducted at ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru to find an ideal laboratory host plant material to rear the mango stem borer, Batocera rufomaculata De Geer. Three host plants viz., drum stick, jack fruit and mango were evaluated for their suitability to rear larvae of B. rufomaculata in the laboratory. Fifteen fresh twigs each of three host plants, approximately measuring 40 cm length and 5–6 cm in diameter were used for the experiment. Though all the three plant species tested are preferred hosts of B. rufomaculata under field conditions, their host status under laboratory conditions was not uniform. Among three host plants evaluated, the recovery of adults was highest (80.00%) from drumstick twigs making it a suitable host material. This is a simple technology to study the biology, behavior and larval tunneling pattern of B. rufomaculata and also to conduct bioassay studies in the laboratory.

Chemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activities of Albizia lebbeck L. Essential Oils

The study was conducted to investigate the chemical compositions and antioxidant activities of essential oils (EOs) from fresh and air-dried Albizia lebbeck. The EOs was extracted by hydro-distillation using the Clevenger apparatus and the identification and quantification of chemical constituents were done via GC/MS analysis. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method. A total of 98.58, 82.37, 46.65 and 98.69 % constituents respectively were identified in the EOs of fresh leaf, pod, stalk and twig of A. lebbeck while the air-dried leaf, pod, stalk and twig had a total of , 77.56, 83.86 and 83.66 % of constituents respectively identified. The IC50 values of the essential oils decreased as follows: BHA > air-dried-stalk > air-dried-pod > fresh-leaf > fresh-pod > fresh-stalk > fresh-twig > air-dried-twig > air-dried-leaf > α-Tocopherol. The essential oils showed considerable antioxidant activities when compared with the known antioxidants and this could be due to the synergetic effects of the identified essential oil components.

Non-foraging tool use in European Honey-buzzards: An experimental test.

Examples of tool-use behaviors by birds outside foraging contexts are scarce and limited to a handful of species. We report a field experiment aimed to test whether an observed suite of odd behaviors by European Honey-buzzards (Pernis apivorus) represents use of green twigs cut from trees and woody shrubs as a tool to attract ants for anting. Specifically, we tested whether buzzards are selective in their choice of twigs, under the assumption that birds would prefer easy-to-collect twigs from plants that effectively attract ants. Experimental results lend support to our hypothesis that European Honey-buzzards cut green twigs of Montpellier maple trees (Acer monspessulanum) and, to a lesser extent, of Pyrenean oaks (Quercus pyrenaica) for their immediate use as ant attractors. Fresh twigs of both tree species attracted large numbers of ants, suggesting that their preferential use in the reported behavior of Honey-buzzards is not a random selection of the available plant material. Maple twigs, however, were the easiest to break and oak twigs the hardest compared to other plants in the community. This suggests that the relative ease of cracking of maple twigs may account for the preference Honey-buzzards have for this plant species as compared with Pyrenean oak, whose twigs demand considerable more effort from the birds to break. Our results lend support to the inclusion of the reported behavioral sequence by this raptor species as a potential example of tool use in birds outside the usual foraging context.

Epidemiology, pathology and identification of Colletotrichum including a novel species associated with avocado (Persea americana) anthracnose in Israel

Anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum species is a major constraint for the shelf-life and marketability of avocado fruits. To date, only C. gloeosporioides sensu lato and C. aenigma have been reported as pathogens affecting avocado in Israel. This study was conducted to identify and characterize Colletotrichum species associated with avocado anthracnose and to determine their survival on different host-structures in Israel. The pathogen survived and over-wintered mainly on fresh and dry leaves, as well as fresh twigs in the orchard. A collection of 538 Colletotrichum isolates used in this study was initially characterized based on morphology and banding patterns generated according to arbitrarily primed PCR to assess the genetic diversity of the fungal populations. Thereafter, based on multi-locus phylogenetic analyses involving combinations of ITS, act, ApMat, cal, chs1, gapdh, gs, his3, tub2 gene/markers; eight previously described species (C. aenigma, C. alienum, C. fructicola, C. gloeosporioides sensu stricto, C. karstii, C. nupharicola, C. siamense, C. theobromicola) and a novel species (C. perseae) were identified, as avocado anthracnose pathogens in Israel; and reconfirmed after pathogenicity assays. Colletotrichum perseae sp. nov. and teleomorph of C. aenigma are described along with comprehensive morphological descriptions and illustrations, for the first time in this study.

Composition, in vitro Antibacterial and Anti-mildew Fungal Activities of Essential Oils from Twig and Fruit Parts of Eucalyptus citriodora

In this study, antibacterial and anti-mildew fungal activities of the twig and fruit essential oil and its constituents from Eucalyptus citriodora were investigated in vitro against eight bacteria and seven mildew fungi, respectively. The major ingredient responsible for the antibacterial and anti-mildew fungal activities were also identified. The essential oil from the fresh twigs and fruits of E. citriodora were isolated using hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus, and characterized by GC–FID and GC–MS, respectively. The twig oil consisted primarily of 1,8-cineole (17.7%), p-cymene (17.1%), caryophyllene oxide (13.8%), and isopulegol (12.2%); the fruit oil's main constituent was p-cymene (23.2%), α-pinene (16.1%), α-cadinol (11.5%), and τ-cadinol (8.4%). In addition, comparing the antibacterial and anti-mildew fungal activities of the oils showed that the fruit oil was the most effective. For the antibacterial and anti-mildew fungal activities of the fruit oil, the active source compounds were determined to be τ-cadinol and τ-cadinol.

Black-collared Hawk Busarellus nigricollis in French Guiana: distribution, population size and breeding biology

The Black-collared Hawk Busarellus nigricollis is widespread from southern Mexico throughout Central America and east of the Andes in South America. Although rather common in most of its distribution range, little is known about its breeding biology as nests are often built in inaccessible areas. The discovery in 2013 of four nests of this hawk in the coastal region of French Guiana, where it is found near brackish or fresh water in semi-open to open country, allowed us to increase our knowledge of its breeding behavior. The population is estimated at c. 200 pairs. Aerial displays of a breeding pair cover a large area around the nest tree. The nest is a large structure of sticks with a shallow cup lined with finer branches and a layer of twigs with leaves. It is mostly built at a height between 15 and 35 m, in the crown of an isolated tree or in a tree crown emerging above the surrounding vegetation. A single egg per nest is laid in French Guiana. The fledgling period for one nest was 55 days. Both male and female incubate and feed the nestling, although the female's share in both activities is more important. During the entire nesting period male and female add fresh twigs with leaves and to a lesser extent, fine dead branches to the nest.

Characterization and virulence of Beauveria bassiana associated with auger beetle (Sinoxylon anale) infesting allspice (Pimenta dioica)

The incidence of auger beetle, Sinoxylon anale Lesne (Bostrichidae: Coleoptera), a destructive pest of cosmopolitan occurrence is reported for the first time on allspice trees, Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr. in Kerala, India. The insects bored through the basal region of fresh twigs resulting in dieback symptoms. Morphological characterization and sequencing of a partially amplified fragment of the mitochondrial CO1 gene (696bp) revealed the insect to be Sinoxylon anale. An entomopathogenic fungus was isolated from infected cadavers of S. anale that was identified as Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill., sensu stricto (s.s.) (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) based on morphological and molecular studies. The partial sequences of the ITS, TUB, TEF and Bloc gene regions were sequenced. The fungus grew well in ambient room temperature conditions (28–32±2°C; 60–70% relative humidity) and the infection process on the insect was documented by scanning electron microscopy. Bioassay studies with the isolate indicated that the fungus was virulent against adult beetles as evidenced by the LC50 (3.6×106conidia/ml) and ST50 values (6.8days at a dose of 1×107conidia/ml and 5.8days at a dose of 1×108conidia/ml, respectively). This is the first record of B. bassiana naturally infecting S. anale and the fungus holds promise to be developed as a mycoinsecticide.

Plant species reported from Swiss farmers to treat bovine respiratory diseases

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) causes high morbidity in cattle, and extensive antibiotic treatment is leading to increasing resistance of BRD pathogens. Medicinal plants (MP) used traditionally by Swiss farmers for BRD might be a potential future therapeutic option. Since 2011 ethnoveterinary surveys have been conducted in Switzerland, with some 200 interviews leading to more than 1'500 use reports (UR). From this dataset all URs referring to BRD were extracted and analyzed with respect to plant parts used, preparation of remedies, administration, and oral daily dose (ODD). A total of 54 URs were documented (Table 1). The most common of the 15 reported MPs were Thymus vulgaris L. (TA), Picea abies L. (PA) and Ilex aquifolium L. (IA) representing some 70% of all URs. Common ways of administration of MPs were by direct feeding of the herb, as herbal teas, by inhalation, and as a liniment. For 25 of the 32 oral applications an ODD could be determined. ODDs reported for TA varied widely, but were comparable (median 0.19 g/kg0,75) to commonly used human ODDs of 0.13 – 0.26 g/kg0,75. The use of this plant was reasonable considering known antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic properties. PA was administered by feeding of fresh twigs, but no detailed information on dosage could be obtained. However, antibacterial properties of spruce resin has been reported in literature. IA is commonly considered as toxic, but five UR corresponded to an average ODD of 0.41 g/kg0,75. Whether this ethnoveterinary use can be rationalized by the content in triterpene saponins is not clear at the moment. More research is needed, and the use of IA cannot be recommended at present. The 54 URs for BRD represent less than 5% of total URs documented so far from Swiss farms. In contrast to dermatological and gastrointestinal diseases the treatment of BRD with MPs seems less common. Nevertheless, several of the 15 documented MPs are interesting starting points for further investigations.

Mechanisms of heat and mass transfer during drying of mate (Ilex paraguariensis) twigs

ABSTRACTExperimental results of surface temperature and moisture content of twigs of mate were obtained in a conveyor-belt dryer operated batchwise. The first response was determined with an infrared sensor, while the second was by conventional gravimetry. A set of 0.04-m-long cylindrical twigs classified manually into three different subgroups on the basis of their diameters (3.5 × 10−3, 6.5 × 10−3, and 10 × 10−3 m) were used in the experiments. Drying always took place in a chamber fed with a thin single layer of material 0.5 m in length and 0.05 m wide. The fresh twigs without leaves at ambient temperature (≈27.2 ± 2.6°C) and with an initial moisture content close to 0.8 ± 0.1 were dried at three different average air temperatures (65.5, 80.2, and 83.8°C) for 7200 s. A full set of nine (31 × 31) drying experiments were performed by varying the examined factors (particle diameter and drying temperature) at three levels. The low estimated Biot numbers (<0.55) indicate that convection plays a much more important role than conduction in heat transfer. Because of this and since heating was much faster than drying, the Newton’s law of cooling alone was successfully applied to describe the increase of particle temperature with time. From a similar analysis involving a convective mass transfer coefficient calculated with the Chilton-Colburn analogy emerged high-mass-transfer Biot numbers (≈5.37 × 103 − 3.65 × 105) that reveal drying of twigs is governed by diffusion. In fact, the equation that represents the Fick’s second law of diffusion in a long cylinder (one-dimensional transfer), solved analytically and coupled to the model of heat transfer, was able to describe the kinetics of drying of mate twigs.

Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Indian Marsh Fleabane (Pluchea indica (L.) Less)

Ethanolic extracts of various parts of Pluchea indica (L.) Less were analyzed for DPPH radical scavenging capacities, total phenolic contents and antibacterial activities. The results showed that fresh root extract had the most antioxidant activities (0.16  0.001 mg/mL EC50, 20.02  0.177 mg/g TEAC and 15.79  0.008 mg GAE/g total phenolic content). Antioxidative activities of most fresh samples were significantly higher than that of dry samples (P < 0.05). The low antioxidative activities of dry samples might be due to the effect of drying (60 oC for 2 days). In contrast, tea leaves extract exhibited the high antioxidant capacities (0.28  0.012 mg/mL EC50, 11.86  0.519 mg/g TEAC and 3.18  0.012 mg GAE/g total phenolic content) due to the formation of Maillard reaction products during heating at lower temperature for a shorter period (50 oC for 2 hrs). Antibacterial activities assessed by the disc diffusion method showed that all of investigated bacteria were inhibited by the extract of fresh root, fresh twig, dry stem and tea leaves, while the extract of fresh and dry flower, fresh and dry leaves, and dry root showed the less inhibition potential. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of extracts using agar microdilution and disc diffusion method showed significant inhibition activities even at 2 – 16 fold dilutions, with the most effective result in fresh root extract as low as 64 fold dilution. Tea leaves extract also had high inhibitory capacities when the concentrations were 4 - 16 fold dilution. Fresh root extract had the most excellent inhibition potential against Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Salmonella typhimurium (0.16, 0.16 and 0.32 mg/mL MICs, respectively). Inhibitory activities against Escherichia coli were very low. The increase in antioxidant activities did increase antibacterial abilities.

Season of Fine Woody Debris Death Affects Colonization of Saproxylic Coleoptera

A study was conducted to explore the effect of season on colonization of dead twigs by beetles in a Louisiana secondary forest. Previous research showed that twigs cut during spring yielded many specimens and species. The present companion study utilized twigs averaging 14 mm in diameter cut from one tree of Quercus falcata Michaux (southern red oak) during fall (October) 2008, placed in bundles of 10 each, and left in the forest at three sites. Half the bundles were retrieved during winter (January, four months later) and the other half were retrieved during summer (July, nine months later). Coleoptera were collected from bundles using emergence chambers. Only 39 specimens of adult Coleoptera were collected, representing 12 families, 20 genera, and 21 species. Beetle colonization of oak twigs in Louisiana appears to be affected by the interaction of season and twig “quality” (apparently freshness) with the highest colonization taking place in fresh, dead twigs during spring and an order of magnitude lower colonization in 1) fresh twigs during fall or 2) stale twigs during spring and summer.

Interactions between Fine Wood Decomposition and Flammability

Fire is nearly ubiquitous in the terrestrial biosphere, with profound effects on earth surface carbon storage, climate, and forest functions. Fuel quality is an important parameter determining forest fire behavior, which differs among both tree species and organs. Fuel quality is not static: when dead plant material decomposes, its structural, chemical, and water dynamic properties change, with implications for fuel flammability. However, the interactions between decomposition and flammability are poorly understood. This study aimed to determine decomposition’s effects on fuel quality and how this directly and indirectly affects wood flammability. We did controlled experiments on water dynamics and fire using twigs of four temperate tree species. We found considerable direct and indirect effects of decomposition on twig flammability, particularly on ignitability and burning time, which are important variables for fire spread. More decomposed twigs ignite and burn faster at given water content. Moreover, decomposed twigs dry out faster than fresh twigs, which make them flammable sooner when drying out after rain. Decomposed fine woody litters may promote horizontal fire spread as ground fuels and act as a fuel ladder when staying attached to trees. Our results add an important, previously poorly studied dynamic to our understanding of forest fire spread.

Constituents of Twig Bark of Pear Cultivars (Pyrus species)

Organic solvent extracts from fresh twig bark of Japanese pear cultivars (Pyrus serotina) Shinko and Nijisseiki, and European pear cultivar (P. communis) Le Lectier were obtained by maceration with n-hexane and EtOAc, and analyzed in GC-EIMS experiments. In these two Japanese cultivars, the lupeol, betulin, epifriedelinol, friedelin and arbutin contents of Nijisseiki were higher than those of Shinko. In the case of the lupane-type triterpenes, lupeol and betulin, the lupeol content of Japanese pears Shinko and Nijisseiki was higher than that of European pear Le Lectier. The betulin content of Le Lectier was higher than those of Shinko and Nijisseiki. Friedelane-type triterpenes, epifriedelinol and friedelin, were not detected in twig bark of Le Lectier. Quantitative and qualitative differences in the constituents of these three pear cultivars were observed.

Composition and Antipathogenic Activities of the Twig Essential Oil of Chamaecyparis formosensis from Taiwan

In this study, antipathogenic activities of the twig essential oil and its constituents from Chamaecyparis formosensis Matsum were evaluated in vitro against six plant pathogenic fungi. The essential oil from the fresh twigs was isolated using hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus, and characterized by GC-FID and GC-MS. Twenty-five compounds were identified, representing 98.9% of the oil. The main components were beta-eudesmol (25.1%), tau-muurolol (21.6%), elemol (15.0%), totarol (14.9%), and alpha-cadinol (12.4%). The twig oil (500 mcirog/mL) showed growth inhibitory activity against the phytopathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Pestalotiopsis funereal, and Ganoderma austral, with antifungal indices of 92.7%, 71.1%, and 87.7%, respectively. In addition, the oil suppressed totally the growth of Rhizoctonia solani, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Fusarium solani. In order to ascertain the source compounds of these antipathogenic activities, the main components were individually evaluated. Tau-Muurolol and alpha-cadinol exhibited excellent activity against F. oxysporum, R. solani, C. gloeosporioides, and F. solani, with IC50 < 50 microg/mL. These compounds also efficiently inhibited the mycelial growths of P. funereal and G. austral. Thus, alpha-cadinol and tau-muurolol could be considered as potential natural fungicides for controlling fungal pathogens and worth.