Recent trends toward the development of environmentally sustainable technologies have necessitated the use of plantbased natural materials as wood coatings. One of the most celebrated endemic and endangered species of India is Pterocarpus santalinus, commonly known as Red Sanders and is IUCN red-listed due to its overexploitation. However, the P. santalinus bark, like most other tree barks, ends up as a waste material and contributes to carbon emission when burned as a fuel. This study aims at a preliminary analysis of the phytochemical constituents of bark extracts of Red Sanders and their effectiveness as UV stabilizers. The study was conducted to examine the UV stability of wood surfaces of Hevea brasiliensis (rubberwood) coated with different Red Sanders bark extracts. The coated wood specimens of rubberwood were subjected to UV irradiation in an accelerated UV weather-o-meter, and the color changes (CIE L*, a*, b*, and ΔE* values) were measured at regular intervals. Rapid photo-yellowing was observed in cases of control wood, which was drastically suppressed in wood coated with bark extractives. Moreover, the aesthetic appeal of fast-growing, nondurable plantation timber was amplified when coated with bark extracts. The wide range of colors obtained through different extracts isolated using solvents gives an exploratory outlook toward the utilization of barks. A petri plate assay of the Red Sanders bark shows its biocidal and antifungal activities and its potential in being utilized as a biopreservative.

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