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Application of extracts from the poisonous plant, <i>Nerium Oleander</i> L., as a wood preservative


O Goktas
R Mammadov
ME Duru
E Ozen
AM Colak

Abstract

The antifungal properties of poisonous plant extracts from oleanders (Nerium oleander L.) were determined when used as a wood preservative. The extract was prepared from oleanders leaves and
flowers in 96% ethyl alcohol. The wood blocks of Turkish oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were impregnated with the extracts. The abilities of the extract to suppress
attack by Postia placenta (Fr.) (brown rot) and Trametes versicolor (L: Fr.) Quel. (a white-rot) was investigated. Treated blocks were exposed to P. placenta and T. versicolor attacks for 12 weeks by following the soil-block method. While untreated wood specimens have weight loss ranging between 27.37 and 30.66% for P. placenta and 8.64 and 24.06% for T. versicolor, the wood treated with the
extracts is of weight loss between 5.54 and 10.98% for P. placenta, and between 5.02 and 28.25% for T. versicolor. The lowest weight loss was found to be for beech wood (5.02%) impregnated with the extract
of oleander at a concentration level of 0.25% against T. versicolor. While the highest weight loss was also on the beech wood (28.25%) treated with the same extract at the level of 0.50% concentration
against T. versicolor. In conclusion, the extracts could be used as effective wood preservative.

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eISSN: 1684-5315