Know more

Some species of wood have antimicrobial properties. However, the organic and porous nature of wood raises questions about the use of this material in places requiring high hygiene. Therefore, there is a need to study the microbial survival and antimicrobial potential of wood using various methods. On the basis of the available literature, this review classifies the methods previously used into two main categories: one category tests the wood material by direct bacterial contact, and the other tests the action of molecules previously extracted from wood on bacteria and fungi. This article explains the suitability of these methods for wood materials and exposes the lack of knowledge that may guide future research. This information is intended to help researchers and field experts select the appropriate methods for testing the hygienic safety and antimicrobial properties of wood materials.

Partners:

• Laboratoire Innovation Matériau Bois Habitat Apprentissage (LIMBHA), Ecole Supérieure du Bois, Nantes, France
• Laboratoire HIFIH, Université d'Angers, France
• Laboratoire de bactériologie, CHU Angers, France
• CRCINA, Inserm, Université de Nantes and Université d’Angers, France
• Your ResearcH-Bio-Scientific, Le Landreau, France
• PAnTher, Oniris, INRAE, Nantes, France

Publication: Munir, M.T., Pailhories, H., Eveillard, M., Irle, M., Aviat, F., Dubreil, L., Federighi, M., and Belloncle, C., 2020. Testing the antimicrobial characteristics of wood materials: A review of methods. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) 9.