AUTHOR=Wang Yu , Wang Yuanyuan , Guan Zhiqian , Wang Zeao , Duan Yangbo , Min Chen , Zhong Yuhan , Hou Lilong , Pan Jiao 

TITLE=Analysis and prevention of microbial degradation of shadow puppetry artifacts preserved in the National Shadow Puppetry Museum in Chengdu

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1611451

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2025.1611451

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=Shadow puppetry, an integral and crucial component of China’s intangible cultural heritage, currently faces the significant threat of microbial degradation. This is primarily due to the organic materials used in its artifacts. This study centers on the shadow puppets housed in the National Shadow Puppetry Museum in Chengdu. By employing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and high-throughput sequencing techniques, it has revealed a diverse array of co-existing microorganisms on the surfaces of these puppets. These include species from genera such as Aspergillus, Streptomyces, Nocardiopsis, Pseudomonas, and Saccharopolyspora, among others. Eleven microbial species were successfully isolated, wherein four were identified as predominant: Pseudomonas sp. WH. S-B1, Streptomyces sp. WH. S-B2, Nocardiopsis sp. WH. S-B6, and Aspergillus fumigatus WH. S-F2. Notably, these four strains demonstrated the ability to degrade collagen. The antimicrobial experiment results indicated that 0.3% isothiazolinone-based antimicrobial agents BC01 and 50 mg/mL carvacrol exhibited a certain degree of antimicrobial activity against these predominant strains. Overall, this research provides a robust foundation for the conservation of shadow puppet artifacts. It does so by thoroughly analyzing the mechanisms of microbial degradation and screening effective antimicrobial agents.