Prevented from decay (9)
I believe the answer is:
preserved
'prevented from decay' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for preserved that I've seen before include "Kept in an unaltered condition" , "Kept safe from harm" , "Prevented from decay" , "Prevented from decaying or spoiling" , "Maintained in an unaltered condition" .)