Termiticidal Activity of Aqueous Extracts of Erythrophleum suaveolens Stem Bark and Lagenaria breviflora Fruit Pulp on Wood

Abstract

Immense indigenously known antimicrobial and insect repellent activities of many plants’ tissues present a pool for selecting and formulating much needed alternative environmental friendly biocides to limiting wood degradation agents across the globe. Single and combined treatments of Erythrophleum suaveolens stem bark extract at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, and with 10 mL of Lagenaria breviflora fruit pulp juice extract on wood blocks of Triplochiton scleroxylon were comparatively investigated against outdoor field termites for three months in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Erythrophleum suaveolens stem bark yielded 4.4% extract. Combination effect of Erythrophleum suaveolens stem bark extract and Lagenaria breviflora fruit pulp juice extract (ESLE) treatments comparatively showed lower absorption and retention but significantly enhanced better termiticidal activity than Erythrophleum suaveolens stem bark extract alone (ESEA). The two extract types showed the strongest antitermites’ activities at the lowest concentration (5%) tested but ESLE significantly showed better effective wood protection than ESEA. The results suggested that ESEA, and ELSE could be better alternative substitute biocides, as they exhibited good termiticidal performance using small quantities.

Keywords

• Erythrophleum suaveolens
• Lagenaria breviflora
• Termiticidal activity
• Triplochiton scleroxylon wood