Abstract:
Heartwood of Terminalia spinosa was subjected to sohxlet extraction and analysed for anti-fungal and antitermite assays. It was also analysed for causes of its exceptional durability. Two white rot fungi, Coriolus versicolor
and Antrodia species, two brown rot fungi Poria placenta and Gloeophyllum trabeum and the termite Macrotermes
jeanneli were used to determine durability based on growth inhibition, weight loss and termite mortality. 1
HNMR
and 13C NMR spectra of heartwood extractives were recorded in methanol on a Bruker AM 400 spectrometer. All
extracts caused significant growth inhibition to the white rot and brown rot fungi. T. spinosa heartwood was very
resistant termites. When eaten by the termites, the extracts caused significant percent loss in body weight
accompanied by deaths of about 95% of the worker and soldier termites. They were also fungitoxic rather than
fungistatic. 1
HNMR and 13C NMR and FTIR spectra revealed presence of steareic acid and palmitic acid.
