\n<\/p>\n
[Source<\/a>]<\/p>\n A team of international scientists has found that wasabi, or Japanese horseradish, a well-known partner for sushi, can treat and preserve ancient Egyptian papyrus.<\/strong><\/p>\n What they discovered:<\/strong> Their findings<\/a>, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science<\/a>, show that wasabi<\/a> vapors can eradicate microbial growth, particularly of fungi, in both painted and non-painted papyrus samples with an \u201cinhibition efficiency of 100%.\u201d<\/p>\n Microbes are known to damage papyrus, a material used in ancient Egypt, as well as ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, for documentation. The scientists also found that wasabi increased<\/a> the tensile strength of the samples by 26% without changing their painted color or damaging them.<\/p>\n How the study was conducted:<\/strong> For the experiment, the scientists used a mixture of wasabi powder and distilled water, which they turned into a “dumpling-like state.” For the test subjects, they used papyrus replicas painted red, yellow and blue. They then put the replicas into an oven<\/a> for 120 days to mimic the aging process before exposing them to various fungal specimens commonly found on archeological papyri.<\/p>\n Trending on NextShark: 240-million-year-old ‘Chinese dragon’ fossil discovered in southern China<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The replicas were then exposed to wasabi vapor for three days, which yielded positive results. The scientists conducted a follow-up a month later and saw similar results.<\/p>\n How it’s possible:<\/strong> The scientists attributed wasabi\u2019s anti-fungal effects to allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a chemical compound and colorless oil that gives wasabi its pungent taste. AITC is known for having antimicrobial properties against various microorganisms.<\/p>\n What’s next: <\/strong>The discovery promises a cost-effective and more sustainable alternative for preserving papyri. In the future, the method may also be used to test on other materials such as wood and paper.<\/p>\n Trending on NextShark: Watch: Hearts melt as senior Singapore couple reunite with daughter, grandkids for Lunar New Year<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Download the NextShark App:<\/strong><\/p>\n