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A deacidifying/antifungal mixture composed of calcium propionate, methylparaben and propylparaben was tested against Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Chaetomium globosum, Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium corylophilum. The preventive treatment of paper samples resulted in a complete fungal growth inhibition on 4 of the 5 tested species. The antifungal properties of the formulation remained unaffected for a minimum period of one year. The disinfecting treatment with the mixture led to a total elimination of all tested fungal species. The effects of the tested formulation on paper were evaluated in terms of pH, colourimetry, folding endurance, FTIR and XRD, using moist heat artificial ageing. Aside from plain paper, paper previously colonized by A. niger was tested to evaluate the potential of the formulation in preventing deterioration caused by fungal metabolites. In plain paper, an effective deacidification and long-term prevention of mechanical resistance loss were achieved, although a slight paper discoloration occurred. On previously colonized by fungi, the treatment effectively prevented the deterioration caused by fungal metabolites.

The growth of molds on paper containing cellulose is a frequent occurrence when the level of relative air humidity is high or when books become wet due to water leaks in libraries. The aim of this study is to differentiate the bioreceptivity of different types of book paper for different fungi. Laboratory tests were performed with strains of Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium sp., Chaetomium globosum and Trichoderma harzianum isolated from books. Four paper types were evaluated: couche, Polen (offset), recycled and a reference paper containing only cellulose. The tests were carried out in chambers with relative air humidity of 95% and 100%. Mold growth was greatest in the tests at 100% relative humidity. Results of stereoscopic microscopy observation showed that Cladosporium sp. grew in 74% of these samples, A. niger in 75%, T. harzianum in 72% and C. globosum in 60%. In the chambers with 95% air humidity Cladosporium sp. grew in only 9% of the samples, A. niger in 1%, T. harzianum in 3% and C. globosum did not grow in any sample. The most bioreceptive paper was couche and the least receptive was recycled paper. The composition of the recycled paper, however, varies depending on the types of waste materials used to make it.

Dluwang was made from the bark of the paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera Vent.). Old Javanese manuscripts were handwritten on dluwang. Fungi samples from deteriorated dluwang manuscripts from the libraries of royal palaces in Indonesia and from the faculty library of Universitas Indonesia were collected by using cotton swabs and adhesive tape. Fungal isolates were obtained by the culture-dependent method. Identification of 38 fungal isolates was carried out by the molecular method using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA. Phenotypic description of the isolates was obtained by classic culturing and direct microscopic observation. The results showed that fungi from the genera of Aspergillus and Penicillium were commonly found on old dluwang manuscripts. According to the molecular identification, species obtained were Aspergillus awamori, Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus jensenii, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus pulvericola, Aspergillus ruber (Eurotium rubrum), Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium citrinum, Penicillium oxalicum, Penicillium rubens, Pseudocercospora chiangmaiensis, and Trichoderma longibrachiatum. The isolated fungi were xerophilic and cellulolytic in nature. All isolates were able to grow on dluwang paper, 29 isolates (76%) were able to utilize carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and 18 isolates (47%) were able to utilize CMC and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). The present study showed that the deterioration of the written heritage was potentially caused by diverse fungi.

This paper focuses on the biodegradation of wood by two soft-rot fungi, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum, in soil which was artificially infested. The structural changes of pine and sycamore wood were evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Surprisingly, soft-rot fungi tolerate low moisture to cause extensive decay in the wood samples. The micrographs showed differences in hyphae colonization and wood degradation patterns between soft-rot species under this study; A. niger produced soft-rot decay type I (cavity formation) and soft-rot decay type II (erosion), while P. chrysogenum caused only soft-rot decay type II.