Antimicrobial activity of essential oils: A green alternative to treat cultural heritage.

ABSTRACT: Biodeterioration induced by fungal attack is one of the greatest hazard for documentary and archival heritage. The effect of three essential oils (EOs) extracted from Eugenia caryophyllata, Cinnamomum cassia and Cinnamomum camphora was investigated on four organisms, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Stachybotrys chartarum and Chaetomium globosum, that usually attack and degrade paper materials. E. caryophyllata EO showed the largest antifungal activity against all fungal species. The same EO was also effective when A. niger colonies, grown for three days in the microcosm, were treated, showing up to 70% fungal growth reduction, compared with controls.