Preservatve Potentials of Datura metel Seed Oil on Triplochiton scleroxylon Wood (Schumann)against Fungal Attack

Abstract

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the potential of extracted Datura metel seed oil as a  bio wood preservative against fungi attack as reports have shown bio-preservatives to be toxic free and environmentally friendly. The oil was extracted from the seed by Soxhlet apparatus using N-Hexane and ethanol solvents and using volume-to-volume method of dilution kerosene (at 50%) was added to increase its quantity thereafter. The phytochemical screening of the seed of Datura metel revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and phenols. Wood samples of Triplochiton sceleroxylon  were cut to 20 × 20 × 60mm and the dimensioned wood samples were soaked for 72 hours in the seed oil extract hence preservative absorption rate and percentage weight loss of wood  was determined on exposure to a purely cultured Sclerotium rolfsil (brown rot fungi) and Pleurotus ostreatus(white rot fungi). Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance at α0.05 and the results showed the highest value of mean weight loss of 18.29% while the samples exposed to brown rot fungi has a mean value of 14.12% and white rot a lowest mean value of 12.72%. The highest absorption was observed to be 92.73 kg/m at 100 % concentration level of D,metel extract.  Based on the results obtained, the seed-oil extracts of Datura metel have the potential of being an effective wood preservative.