Aspects regarding the effectiveness of volatile oils of the Tanacetum vulgare kind in the conservation of heritage objects

Abstract

The paper refers to a composition with antifungal and antibacterial effect in order to test new materials for preserving heritage objects on collagen support with bactericidal/antifungal role, essential oils-based from Vetrice (Tanacetum vulgare, Compositae family), having antifungal and antibacterial properties. The biocidal effect of plant extracts is due to the presence of constituent agents, such as alcohols, ethers, phenols, aldehydes, ketones, which makes them extremely effective against a wide range of microbial strains. The essential oil was obtained by boiling the plants through continuous hydrodistillation with Clevenger refrigerant. The testing of the antimicrobial efficiency of the plant extracts was performed on two strains of pathogenic fungi, respectively Trichophyton interdigitale and Epidermophyton floccosum. The microbial inoculum was mixed with the plant extract from various sources (leaves, flowers and mixed flower-leaves). All extracts were tested in duplicate according to the specific test standards, and the results were expressed as a mean percentage and logarithmic reduction between the readings on the two Petri plates corresponding to each sample. To quantify the antimicrobial efficacy, the degree of microbial and logarithmic reduction of each sample was calculated, relative to the initial cell concentration. The results of antimicrobial tests showed a high antifungal character of the extracts obtained from flowers, leaves and mixed flower-leaves.