In vivo investigation of chemical alteration in oak wood decayed by Pleurotus ostreatus

Decayed wood samples were collected from naturally infected oak (Quercus castaneifolia C.A.M.). Fruiting bodies of the basidiomycete white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus were identified morphologically and confirmed with rDNA ITS sequencing. Cellulose and lignin compositions were determined and FT-IR spectroscopy was used to collect spectra from decayed and un-decayed wood samples. Histological aspects of decay were monitored by light microscopy. The results of the chemical analysis indicated that P. ostreatus decayed both cellulose and lignin in similar quantities. FT-IR analysis and microscopic images demonstrated that P. ostreatus exhibited simultaneous white-rot in naturally infected oak samples.