WOOD PRESERVATIVE POTENTIALS OF THREE PLANT SPECIES USED LOCALLY IN NIGERIA
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Institute of Biology, Romania Academy
Abstract
Wood extractives are one of the main reasons for the resistance of wood against termite
and fungal attacks. The chemical composition of aqueous leaf extracts of Ocimum
gratissimum, Azadirachta indica and Vernonia amygdalina were used as wood
preservative against termite and fungal infestation in Daniellia oliveri, Parkia
biglobosa and Ceiba pentandra. The leaf extracts were screened quantitatively and
qualitatively for phytochemicals. The extracts were used to treat woods from D. oliveri,
C. petandra and P. biglobosa that were exposed to termites (Macrotermes bellicosus)
and fungal attacks in the field. Aspergillus sp; Rhizopus sp; Penicillum spp;
Neurospora spp; Mucor spp; Saccharomyces spp; Candida spp. were the fungi species
isolated from the decayed woods; with Geotricum spp. being absent only in the decayed
wood of Parkia biglobosa. It was observed that leaf extracts used as preservatives in
this study improved the resistance of less durable wood samples to termite and fungal
attack, compared to the control. It was also observed that there was an insignificant
difference between the potency of the leaf extracts and the synthetic wood preservatives
used in this study. These extracts can therefore be used as bio-preservatives for woods
against termite and fungal attack.
Description
Keywords
fungi infestation, plant extract, termite attack, wood species.
Citation
SAGAYA et al. (2023). WOOD PRESERVATIVE POTENTIALS OF THREE PLANT SPECIES USED LOCALLY IN NIGERIA . Romanian Journal of Biology_ Plant Biology, 67(1-2): 47 - 63.