Conventional wood preservatives like CCA and CCB are facing lot of criticism all over the world. It is essential to address the problem in view of environment protection. Eco-friendly wood preservatives may be considered as one option. The present study is an expolartion of neem leaves and seed oil against wood decaying fungi and termites. Azadirachta indica A. Juss, commonly known as neem is one of the most widely recognized and extensively studied plant specie of Indian sub-continent. Every part of the tree has been thoroughly evaluated for its marked activity against insects, microbes, pests etc. and has gain world-wide recognition as potential therapeutic agent. Neem is considered to be a store-house of various biologically active compounds such as azadirachtin, salanin, nimbin, quercetin etc. all of them are reported to possesses marked antifeedant, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial activity. The activity of alcoholic extract against wood decaying fungi i.e. Postia placenta and Trametes versicolor in hardwood i.e. Populus deltoides and softwood i.e. Pinus roxburghii at different concentrations revealed 4 to 7 fold protection of wood over to control. 80-82% protection was observed in samples of hard and softwood treated with leaves extracts when subjected against wood destroying termite i.e. Microcerotermes bessoni in laboratory. Neem oil at various concentrations protected hard and softwood efficiently against fungi i.e. upto 4 to7 fold over to control. Hard and softwood samples treatred with neem oil exhibited only 9-10% of weight loss by termites in laboratory whereas 95% damage was recorded in control samples. Present study shows that further work on neem oil and leaves extracts is required to develop potential eco-friendly wood preservative.

Download document (806 kb)
free for the members of IRG. Available if purchased.

Purchase this document