Аntifungal Activity of Plant-Based Biocides against Micromycete Biodeteriorators isolated from Manuscripts and Early Printed Books of the Matenadaran
Аntifungal Activity of Plant-Based Biocides against Micromycete Biodeteriorators isolated from Manuscripts and Early Printed Books of the Matenadaran
Paronikyan Armine
Summary
Key words: essential oils, biodeterioration, archival preservation, antifungal agents, vapor-phase activity, contact inhibition, cultural heritage conservation, volatile compounds
The present study investigates the antifungal activity of plant-derived extracts obtained from species growing in the Armenian Highlands against micromycete biodeteriorators isolated from the surface of manuscript and early printed book collections of the Matenadaran. The test organisms included Penicillium cyclopium Westling, Aspergillus niger Tiegh., Aspergillus ochraceus G. Wilh., and Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl. (syn. A. tenuis Nees), identified through microbiological analysis of contaminated materials. Under experimental conditions, the effects of aqueous solutions of essential oils (n = 8) on the growth and development of the studied micromycetes were evaluated. The results demonstrated that several tested essential oils exhibited pronounced antifungal activity. The strongest inhibitory effect was observed for essential oils derived from Tanacetum argyrophyllum (C. Koch) Tzvel., Ziziphora tenuior L. and Thymus ararati-minoris Klokov & Des. -Shost. The findings indicate the potential of plant-based biocides as environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic fungicides for the prevention and control of biodeterioration of library and archival materials.