The combined effect of essential oils on wood physico-chemical properties and their antiadhesive activity against mold fungi: application of mixture design methodology.

In the heritage field, the microbial adhesion on wood, and consequently the formation of biofilm led to inestimable losses of historical and cultural monuments. Thereby, this study aimed to examine the combined effect of and essential oils on wood surface physico-chemical properties, and to elaborate the optimal mixture using the mixture design approach coupled to the contact angle method. It was found that both wood hydrophobicity and electron donor character increased significantly after treatment using an optimal mixture containing 57% and 43% of and essential oils, respectively.

The Effect of Different Vegetable Oils on Cedar Wood Surface Energy: Theoretical and Experimental Fungal Adhesion.

Despite having been used for ages to preserve wood against several effects (biological attack and moisture effects) that cause its degradation, the effect of vegetable oils on the cedar wood physicochemical properties is poorly known. Thus, in this study, the hydrophobicity, electron-acceptor ( ), and electron-donor ( ) properties of cedar wood before and after treatment with vegetable oils have been determined using contact angle measurement. The cedar wood has kept its hydrophobic character after treatment with the different vegetable oils.