In this study, we investigated the induction, chemical composition, and antifungal activity of balsam exudates secreted from Liquidambar excelsa. Exudation was stimulated with 10% (v/v) methyl jasmonate, and the collected balsam was separately extracted with ethanol and n-hexane and distilled to obtain the hydrosol and essential oil fractions. Solvent extraction yielded 63.86% ethanol extract and 63.55% n-hexane extract, whereas distillation yielded 19.05% essential oil, accompanied by hydrosol as a co-product. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry profiling revealed distinct fraction-dependent chemical profiles, wherein γ-terpinene (40.60%), α-pinene (25.09%), and β-pinene (14.77%) dominated the essential oil; terpinen-4-ol (24.83%) and 3-phenylpropanol (5.95%) were characteristic of the hydrosol; whereas ursolic aldehyde (22%–23%), lupeol (8%–13%), and cinnamyl cinnamate (8%–13%) prevailed in the solvent extracts. Antifungal assays against Schizophyllum commune demonstrated a strong dose-dependent inhibition. The essential oil and hydrosol showed the highest suppression at 10%, whereas the solvent extracts showed weaker inhibitory activities. These results indicate that the volatile fractions of L. excelsa balsam, particularly the essential oil and hydrosol, are promising eco-friendly antifungal agents for wood protection. These findings suggest the potential application of L. excelsa exudate balsam as a natural alternative to synthetic fungicides, contributing to the sustainable utilization of forest products.
CAROLINA et al. (Thu,) studied this question.