Natural Protection for Historic Mural Paintings: Thymus serpyllum Essential Oil vs. Paracoccus IBR3

Le résumé fourni par la source

Historic mural paintings are highly susceptible to biodeterioration due to microbial colonization. This study reports, for the first time, the presence of Paracoccus marcusii on a mural painting and investigates the potential role of strain IBR3—isolated from a deteriorated 19th-century mural in a private Italian villa—in the degradation of wall surfaces. The strain exhibited significant enzymatic activity, including casein hydrolysis and calcium carbonate dissolution, revealing its involvement in the degradation of both the organic binders and mineral components commonly present in mural paintings. The study also evaluates the antimicrobial efficacy of Thymus serpyllum essential oil against IBR3, through in vitro tests, membrane integrity assays and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. These findings underscore the potential of Thymus serpyllum essential oil as a sustainable, non-toxic biocide for cultural heritage conservation, and reveal a novel microbial agent in mural biodeterioration.

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