Contribution of the Microbial Communities Detected on an Oil Painting on Canvas to Its Biodeterioration

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the microbial community (bacteria and fungi) colonising an oil painting on canvas, which showed visible signs of biodeterioration. A combined strategy, comprising culture-dependent and -independent techniques, was selected. The results derived from the two techniques were disparate. Most of the isolated bacterial strains belonged to related species of the phylum Firmicutes, as Bacillus sp. and Paenisporosarcina sp., whereas the majority of the non-cultivable members of the bacterial community were shown to be related to species of the phylum Proteobacteria, as Stenotrophomonas sp. Fungal communities also showed discrepancies: the isolated fungal strains belonged to different genera of the order Eurotiales, as Penicillium and Eurotium, and the non-cultivable belonged to species of the order Pleosporales and Saccharomycetales. The cultivable microorganisms, which exhibited enzymatic activities related to the deterioration processes, were selected to evaluate their biodeteriorative potential on canvas paintings; namely Arthrobacter sp. as the representative bacterium and Penicillium sp. as the representative fungus. With this aim, a sample taken from the painting studied in this work was examined to determine the stratigraphic sequence of its cross-section. From this information, “mock paintings,” simulating the structure of the original painting, were prepared, inoculated with the selected bacterial and fungal strains, and subsequently examined by micro-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, in order to determine their potential susceptibility to microbial degradation. The FTIR-spectra revealed that neither Arthrobacter sp. nor Penicillium sp. alone, were able to induce chemical changes on the various materials used to prepare “mock paintings.” Only when inoculated together, could a synergistic effect on the FTIR-spectra be observed, in the form of a variation in band position on the spectrum.

Detection of potential biodeterioration risks for tempera painting in 16th century exhibits from State Tretyakov Gallery

“…and Penicillium sp. in combination but not by each species alone [1]. In this study López-Miras et al (2013a) used fully mocked models of painting rather than separate mock layers, with natural resin shellac as varnish covering two types of mineral oils with pigments and other layers; however, such a model does not allow determination of the material degraded through joint enzymatic activity; possibly, it was varnish.…”

“…Microbiological community play an essential role in the destruction of cultural heritage [1][2][3]. Microorganisms from various systematic groups that can damage works of art, such as tempera painting or oil painting on canvas, have been extensively studied in recent years [4].…”

“…In this regard, special attention is paid to the detection of fungal infection. Sensitive diagnostics would promote the development of effective preventive antiseptic materials that would suppress microbial growth with a minimal destructive effect on the art object [1,5,6]. Traditional antiseptics used in tempera paintings have limitations [6] and there is an urgent need to develop novel modern antiseptics with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and high efficacy, which at the same time would be safe for paintings and museum staff.…”

Origin and Control Strategies of Biofilms in the Cultural Heritage

“…and nonculturable bacteria of the phylum Proteobacteria such as Stenotrophomonas sp. [58] as well as Halobacillus sp., Halobacillus naozhouensis, and Nesterenkonia sp. in wall paintings responsible for pigmentation by pink biofilms in Romanian monasteries [59].…”

Antibacterial Effect of Zinc Oxide-Based Nanomaterials on Environmental Biodeteriogens Affecting Historical Buildings

“…Especially, several bacterial colonies were isolated from the Temple of Concordia in Sicily and identified at the molecular level by the amplification of 16S rDNA. The comparison of the obtained sequences with those in the BLAST database allowed identification of the Gram-positive Arthrobacter aurescens, and two strains belonging to the Gram-negative Achromobacter spanius, which are involved in biodeterioration, as has been reported in many works [35][36][37]. The three different strains were confronted with the ZnO-NR-based nanomaterials at different concentrations.…”