e-conservation the online Magazine 16, oct 2010.pdf

MICROBIAL STUDY OF EGYPTIAN MUMMIES
rence as follows: Chaetomium globosum and Hormodendrum
viride (14.28%) and Alternaria tenuis
and Chaetomella horrida (9.5%). There are many
reports dealing with the microbial levels, such as
Abdel-Kareem et al. [21], Cook and Rayner [22],
Darwish and Sahab [23].
Five bacterial species belonging to four genera
were identified and classified as: Halococcus morrhuae
(30.76%), Streptococcus pyogenes (23.07%),
Micrococcus Kristinae, Micrococcus cinereus and
Halobacterium pharaonis (15.38%).
Effect of some mummification materials on
visual fungal growth
The data in Table 2 shows that the mummification
materials have different ability to inhibit the mycelial
growth of the tested fungal isolates. The
five strains of A. niger, H. viride, P. corylophilum
and A. humicola were very sensitive to natron salt
and relatively sensitive to a Cinnnamomum camphora
extract (figure 3). The natron salts had a
large effect on the growth of the fungal isolates
because it inhibited the fungal growth on a large
area, as the NaCl present in natron salt is an historic
preservation material. On the other hand,
the same fungal isolates were less affected by
myrrh and beeswax extracts and the mummification
materials of Juniperus, Arabic gum and cassia
extracts were found to have no effect on the tested
fungal growth.
Enzymatic activity
Enzyme activity of cellulase production in fungal
strains was measured with different substrates
Figure 3. From left to right: Effect of myrrh on the growth of Aspergillus humicola, effect of cinnamomium camphora on the
growth of Aspergillus humicola, and effect of cinnamomium camphora on the growth of Aspergillus niger.
Table 2. Effect of some mummification materials on visual fungal growth of some fungal isolates after 15 days.
Fungal species
Aspergillus niger (strain no.)
H. viride P. corylophilum A. humicola
Strain no. 1 2 3 4 5
Natron + + + ++ + + ++ +
Myrrh +++ ++ ++ +++ +++ ++ ++ ++
Juniperus ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++
Cinnamomum camphora +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ ++++ ++ ++
Arabic gum ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++
Cassia ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++
Mistic resin ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ +++ ++++ ++++
Beeswax +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ ++ +++
control ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++
Legend: + (10% fungal growth), ++ (50% fungal growth), +++ (75% fungal growth), ++++ (100 % fungal growth).
e-conservation
43