Phytochemical compounds as cleaning agents on granite colonized by phototrophic subaerial biofilms
The society has become increasingly interested in using natural products over chemicals for cleaning activities. In this study, the cleaning potential of formulations embedded in a hydrogel matrix and composed respectively of essential oils (EOs) of Origanum vulgare, Thymus vulgaris, and Calamintha nepeta, and their respective main active components (EO-ACs), viz., Carvacrol, Thymol, and Pulegone, on a phototropic biofilm growing on granite was investigated.