Abstract

The problem of insufficient wood and wood products especially among the inhabitants of Ayetoro has led to the use of woods with lesser durability potentials commonly, Funtumia elastica and Daniella oliveri. This is why it becomes necessary to study preservatives that can prolong the service life of these available species preferably from locally sourced materials. Hence, the evaluation of the potentials of shea butter wastes as wood preservatives. The shea butter wastes were obtained from an active shea production point in Ago Are in Oyo State. Funtumia elastica and Daniella oliveri were used as test blocks for the experiment and they were buried in an active termitarium in the College of Agricultural Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun state. After 16 weeks, the test blocks were exhumed and visual assessment was carried out to assess the extent to which the test blocks were attacked by termites. Phytochemical analysis showed higher concentrations of phenol (0.136), tannin (0.0036), alkaloids (0.426) and flavonoids (0.078) in the shea butter waste water compared to the shea butter waste oil. However, the waste oil showed greater preservative potential than the waste water as there was a significant difference in weight loss between the two species (Funtumia elastica and Daniella oliveri) treated with both the waste oil and the waste water at p≤0.005. Within the confinement of this study, it is therefore concluded that the shea waste oil has greater potential as a preservative than the waste water to prolong the shelf life of a wood species. Furthermore, other wood species can be focused on using this shea waste oil as well as other application methods other than brushing.