Background and aims

: Paper documents stored in librarles may show signs of deterioration caused by the activity of different fungi. The main fungal dyes that aesthetically deteriórate this substrate and affect the cultural heritage on cellulosic support are dark pigments or melanins. The aim of this work is to provide an updated overview of the state of the art of black fungi that colonize paper and the melanins that they synthesize.

M&M

: A bibliographic search was carried out on the dark pigments that synthesize different black fungi that deteriorate paper. 74 specialized papers on the subject were analyzed.

Results

: Knowledge about the diversity and characteristics of the dark pigments that are synthesized by the black fungi that deteriorate paper is key to developing prevention and remediation strategies to eliminate these pigments from cellulosic supports with heritage value. This work presents information on: black fungi that deteriorate paper, types of melanins that can be synthesized, structures where they accumulate, and their contribution to aesthetic deterioration.

Conclusions

: This knowledge serves as the basis for developing new restoration strategies that could be effective and sustainable and that ensure the preventive conservation of historical documents and works of art on paper.