FUNGAL BIODETERIORATION OF ARTIFICIAL AGED LINEN TEXTILE: EVALUATION BY MICROSCOPIC, SPECTROSCOPIC AND VISCOMETRIC METHODS

Abstract

The majority of textiles in ancient Egypt are made from the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum). Cloth made

from flax is defined as linen. It was predominantly used for wrapping Egyptian mummies, an important

stage in the mummification process. Fungal deterioration of ancient linen textiles is one of the most serious

problems in the museum field. The relationship between ancient linen objects from different periods and

their susceptibility to fungal deterioration is a critical issue in collections management in museums. In the

present study, four groups of samples were prepared with different aging conditions. These samples were

inoculated with the spores of four species of fungi that possess cellulolytic activity (Alternaria alternata, Chae

tomium globosum, Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium oxalicum) and incubated for one month. The control and

deteriorated samples of each group were evaluated by using visual assessment, light microscope (LM),

scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), viscometer method and Fourier transform in

frared (FTIR) spectroscopy. It was concluded that fungal mechanisms of deterioration occurred in the form

of hydrolysis, oxidation, depolymerization and recrystallization processes. Decreasing the influence of fungi

by increasing the aging of linen textile samples was demonstrated. A. alternata and C. globosum showed the

highest enzymatic activity in the samples from all groups as compared with other species.