Resumo. The tropical woods Apuleia leiocarpa, Couratari stellata, Mezilaurus itauba and Simarouba amara were selected to examine the effect of the presence of the extractives in the color variation and in the photodecomposition process of their surfaces. Samples with and without extractives were submitted to cycles of ultraviolet radiation (350 nm) and immersion in water until totalizing 2,000 hours of irradiation and 400 hours of water leaching. Changings in the natural wood colors were monitored by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Samples of Simarouba amara and Couratari stellata with extractives content of 2% or less showed color variation with time of treatment almost similar to the samples without extractives. The abnormal resistance of Couratari stellata to color changing can not be attributed to extractives. For the Apuleia leiocarpa and Mezilaurus itauba woods, the presence of 11,7% and 7,42% of extractives compounds, respectively, accelerated the color variation rate. Analysis of the color variation indicated that the extractives, in this case, acted by intensifying the natural wood color. Additionally, it was verified that Couratari stellata was the more resistant wood to color variation in this studied group of woods, followed by Apuleia leiocarpa, Simarouba amara and Mezilaurus itauba, all with extractives.