Eco-friendly approach: a comparative study of essential oils with traditional methods in paper conservation

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the critical role of essential oils (EOs) as multifunctional substances in the field of paper conservation based on a comparative study of reviewing the literature on the advantages and disadvantages of EOs compared to traditional methods that negatively impact the properties of paper. Design/methodology/approach This research paper presents a comparative study to showcase the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing EOs and other traditional approaches. It explores their influence on paper before determining the best materials for the treatment of paper-based cultural heritage. Findings The findings revealed that EOs can prevent and inhibit fungal colonization with high activity while having minimum environmental effects on human health and museum/archive/library collections, as well as bio-functionalization, nontoxicity and safe application to paper. These natural EOs also demonstrated antifungal action against A. terreus, A. flavus, A. niger , etc. Their antioxidant activity may play an essential role in preserving paper from degradation caused by cellulose oxidation. Originality/value This paper provides an eco-friendly approach for the curative and preventive conservation of paper manuscripts, using EOs and their bioactive compounds instead of traditional methods. It also presents an effective strategy for preventing cellulose oxidation and microbial colonization, which causes the degradation of paper-based cultural heritage.