Fungal bioprospecting and antifungal treatment on a deteriorated Brazilian contemporary painting

Abstract

This study aims at identifying the populations of filamentous fungi present on a Brazilian contemporary painting, whose conservation status was compromised and showed evident signs of deterioration by microbial action. In addition, to correlate the biodeterioration potential of the isolated fungal strains, cellulolytic activity testing was performed and, finally, the biocide treatment against microbial growth was carried out. A total of nine isolates of filamentous fungi were detected and three distinct taxa were identified: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium citrinum. The detection of the enzymatic activity of the isolates by cellulolytic plate assay revealed the potential of filamentous fungal species in causing the deterioration of paintings. Our results showed that the presence of each strain of filamentous fungi correlated with the distribution of the paint colour, suggesting a tropism of certain species for specific dyes used. In addition, strains of A. niger showed a lower enzymatic activity index, despite the aesthetic damage that this fungal specie caused on the artwork. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the identification of the microbiota obtained from the painting may help contrasting its biodeterioration and it described a successful antifungal treatment on a contemporary art piece. Contemporary art in Brazil arose from postmodernism, through the artistic manifestations included in the Neoconcrete Manifest of 1959, as well as with the use of innovative techniques. It was a consequence of the interaction between concept and language, displayed by the artists on a set of unconventional materials and objects. Despite being a 20th century painting, the concern of the artist to keep the art object in a good conservation state has driven the realization of this work and these microbial prospecting studies, associated with artwork deterioration, may contribute to the preservation of the Brazilian contemporary heritage.

Identification of Microorganisms Dwelling on the 19th Century Lanna Mural Paintings from Northern Thailand Using Culture-Dependent and -Independent Approaches

“…Fungal genera, including Penicilium sp., Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., and Curvularia sp. were found in temples in the central and western part of Thailand [ 22 ] and in Brazilian contemporary painting, and 19th-century arts collection [ 106 , 107 ]. Bacterial isolates found in the temples consisted of 6 Staphylococcus genus including S. cohnii , S. gallinarum , S. xylosus , S. arlettae, S. argenteus, and S. saprophyticus and other isolates, Klebsiella aerogenes , Bacillus altitudinis, and Enterococcus mundtii .…”

Current Knowledge on the Fungal Degradation Abilities Profiled through Biodeteriorative Plate Essays

“…Fungal cellulolytic action is known to contribute to the biodeterioration of paper, canvas oil paintings, binders and photographic materials [3]. Moreover, cellulolytic action abilities characterization in cultural heritage scenarios has been helpful to study the biodeteriorative contribution of isolates retrieved from air, albumen photographic materials, mummies, funeral accessories, wooden art objects, organs and pipes, wax seals, graphic documents, stone, drawings, lithographs, paintings, textiles, human remains, maps, photographs, paper and other materials present in libraries and museums [28,36,69,79,[81][82][83][96][97][98][99][100][102][103][104][105]. Cellulolytic ability screening can be conducted using Czapek-Dox agar supplemented with hydroxyethyl cellulose [69], Congo Red agar [79], Mandels and Reese medium with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) [106] or media containing sterilized filter paper [47].…”

Isolation and molecular identification of a strain belonging to the new species Zalaria obscura from a deteriorated wooden artwork

“…Indeed, the important role of melanin in protecting fungi in diverse hostile environments is well debated [24,25], and in our case, the recovery of the black fungus Z. obscura (LS31012019) can be explained for the presence of this particular pigment. A combined approach was recently used to identify the filamentous fungi in a Brazilian artwork with a compromised status of conservation and was able to correlate the presence of Aspergillus niger with the observed deterioration of painting [26]. Similarly, Liu et al [27] isolated two Fusarium species from a waterlogged artwork, identifying them as F. solani and F. oxysporum using molecule method.…”