Efficacy of preservative potentials of <i>Cola nitida</i> and <i>Musanga cecropiodes</i> leaf extracts against brown rot fungus on gmelina arborea and <I>Pinus carribaae</I> wood samples

Abstract

The study investigated the bio preservative potentials of Cola nitida and Musanga cecropioides extracts against brown rot fungus (Sclerotium rolfsil)  on Gmelina arborea and Pinus carribeae wood samples. The wood samples were dimensioned to 20 x 20 x 60mm while collected plant samples were  air-dried for two weeks, grounded and sieved to particles size 1-2mm. Hot water and ethanol extraction was adopted and the data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance α = 0.05. Results shows that Pinus carribeae had the highest moisture content compared to Gmelina arborea with the mean values of 29.53 ± 0.82 and 18.58 ± 0.65, respectively. Also it was observed that   in Cola nitida hot water extract had the highest absorption rate than ethanol extract with mean values of 17.52 ± 2.43 and 13.65 ± 1.92, 17.63 ± 2.71 and 12.02 ± 1.45, respectively. While Pinus carribeae in Cola nitida hot water extract had the highest absorption rate with mean values 37.32 ± 3.65 and 32.26 ± 2.56, 37.65±3.65 and 32.26 ± 2.56, respectively. Weight loss (kg/m3) of Gmelina arborea range from 11.41 ± 1.78 to 17.09 ± 3.83 for Cola nitida hot water extract, while it ranged from 12.04 ± 1.99 to 17.45 ± 5.64 for its ethanol extract method. Pinus carribeae exhibited weight loss ranges between 6.21 ± 3.90 to 17.03 ± 4.68, respectively for Musanga cecropioides hot water extract and 0.51±0.22 to 20.05±0.67 respectively for its ethanol extract. The results have demonstrated that the two plant extracts could be used as effective bio preservative on wood.

Keywords: Musanga cecropioides, extracts, absorption, moisture content.