Maria-Loredana Soran

National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies | INCDTIM · Department of Physics of Nanostructured Systems

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of six nanomaterials, namely CNT-COOH, CNT-MnO2, CNT-Fe3O4, CNT-MnO2-Fe3O4, MnO2, and Fe3O4 on lettuceTo determine the impact of nanomaterials on lettuce, the results obtained were compared with those for the control plant, grown in the same conditions of light, temperature, and humidity but without t...

The article investigated the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of extracts from two aromatic plants—Satureja hortensis L. (SE) and Rosmarinus officinalis L. (RE), encapsulated in alginate, on—yogurt properties. The encapsulation efficiency was controlled by FTIR and SEM analysis. In both extracts, the individual polyphenol content was determin...

Plant extracts and essential oils have a wide variety of molecules with potential application in different fields such as medicine, the food industry, and cosmetics. Furthermore, these plant derivatives are widely interested in human and animal health, including potent antitumor, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and bactericidal activity. Given this...

Heavy metals represent a large category of pollutants. Heavy metals are the focus of researchers around the world, mainly due to their harmful effects on plants. In this paper, the influence of copper, cadmium, manganese, nickel, zinc and lead, present in soil in different concentrations (below the permissible limit, the maximum permissible concent...

Different microorganisms are present in nature, some of which are assumed to be hazardous to the human body. It is crucial to control their continuing growth to improve human life. Nanomaterial surface functionalization represents a current topic in continuous evolution that supports the development of new materials with multiple applications in bi...

In this study the adsorption and photodegradation capabilities of modified multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), using tartrazine as a model pollutant, is demonstrated. MWCNTCOOH/Fe3O4 and MWCNT‐COOH/Fe3O4/NiO nanocomposites were prepared by precipitation of metal oxides in the presence of MWCNTs. Their properties were examined by X‐ray diffracti...

Abiotic stress agents, among them metal stress, can cause oxidative damage to plant cells. In defense, plants can increase the production of secondary metabolites in order to mitigate the harmful effects caused by them. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of two types of copper salts (CuSO4 and Cu(NO3)2), added in two different amou...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sun protection factor (SPF) of cosmetic emulsions with the addition of hydroalcoholic apple extract. First, the total polyphenolic content, the antioxidant activity and SPF properties of the extracts obtained by sonication and refluxing were evaluated. The two extraction methods were improved using the...

The article focuses on the optimization of the extraction process of biologically active compounds (BAC) from grape marc—a by-product of the wine industry. The influence of temperature, specifically 30 °C, 45 °C and 65 °C, and ethanol concentration in solutions, specifically 0–96% (v/v) on the extraction yield of polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins an...

The present study reports the cymoxanil adsorption efficiency on carboxy-carbon nanotubes (CNT-COOH)/manganese(IV) oxide (MnO2)/iron(II,III) oxide(Fe3O4) nanocomposite. The optimum conditions were determined by studying the influence of pH (2-10), temperature (20-60 °C), initial cymoxanil concentration (7-20 mg L⁻¹), adsorbent dose (0.5-5 g L⁻¹) an...

The present work aims to follow the influence of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) on bioactive compounds, the elemental content of wheat, and on wheat leaves’ ultrastructure. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The concentr...

The problem of functional foods with bioactive components of natural origin is current for the food industry. Plant extracts rich in polyphenols with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity are a promising source for use in improving the quality and characteristics of fresh meat and meat products. In this context, the purpose of the present study wa...

In this paper, the applicability of carboxylic functionalized carbon nanotubes modified with metal oxides of Fe and Mn (CNT-COOH/MnO2/Fe3O4) as adsorbent for the removal of two pesticides from aqueous solution in batch method was studied. The two pesticides studied were devrinol and triadimefon. Their adsorption on nanocomposite was studied in rela...

Persistent pollutants such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, musk fragrances, and dyes are frequently detected in different environmental compartments and negatively impact the environment and humans. Understanding the impacts of diffuse environmental pollutants on plants is still limited, especially at realistic environmental concentrations of conta...

In the present study, the effects of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) on bioactive compounds, the ultrastructural modifications which can occur, and elemental content of wheat were investigated. Changes in the wheat plants grown in presence or absence of CuO NPs were estimated. The application of CuO NPs decreased the amounts of chlorophylls an...

Solidago virgaurea L. is a perennial plant used in European traditional medicine as a diuretic or a remedy for inflammatory conditions of the urinary tract but also for gout, especially in the Balkans. The present study was focused on a preclinical, in vivo evaluation of antihyperuricemic, anti-inflammatory, and antihypertensive effects of a dry ex...

We aimed at assessing the interaction between visceral adipose tissue (VAT), insulin resistance (IR), circulating levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and the thyroid parameters in obese subjects. Methods. Obese subjects without thyroid pathologies or diseases associated with systemic inflammation and OS we...

The main goal of this work consists of synthesis of new magnetic multifunctional nanoplatforms based on Fe@FePt core, with principal target in applications regarding the capture and separation of amino acids. These expectations were fulfill by attaching amino functional groups on the core surface. Therefore, our Fe@FePt@SiO2@NH2 core-shell nanopart...

Biodiesel production is becoming more and more important lately and different methods for production are searched. Thus, biodiesel can be obtained from different vegetable oils or animal fats using catalysts. The aim of this research was to prepare the Fe3O4/MnO2 nanocomposite and test them as catalyst to efficiently obtain biofuel like the final p...

More than we would like to admit, pharmaceutical products represent a high risk for the environment since, in the past decades, their concentration in natural, drinking, and irrigation waters reached concerning concentrations. The threat also resides in the fact that they tend to accumulate in edible plants and crops, and in the end, they could aff...

The aim of this work was to obtain different extracts rich in polyphenols of the blackthorn by reflux and sonication and to test them in sunscreen formulation. In order to obtain the maximum content of polyphenols, a high antioxidant capacity and a high sun protection factor of these extracts, a central composite design was employed to optimize the...

Purpose The MnO2 nanoparticles, when used as catalyst, determine an enhanced reaction rate of the transesterifications process thus being very attractive for biodiesel production. One of the current limitations of the biofuel production by using MnO2 nanoparticles as catalyst is given by the reaction conditions. This work intends to improve the tra...

The nanocomposite CNT-COOH/MnO2/Fe3O4 was synthesized and characterized by different techniques, namely X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, magnetic measurement, point o...

Nanocomposites based on half-metallic FePt (L10) magnetic nanoparticles coated with the semiconducting conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) show a significant reduction in the magnetic coercivity. This study adopts a physical approach based on chemical potential equalization at the interface. The underlying charge/spin transfer...

In the present work, the effects of acetaminophen (paracetamol) on Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Triticum aestivum L. plants, two important vegetables in Romania, were studied. The treatment consisted of sowing the selected plant seed into soil watered with acetaminophen (100 mg kg‒1). The measurements of the foliage characteristics, photosynthetic pig...

Aronia berries and grape marc, a by-product of producing wine, are rich in antioxidants. The aim of this work was to study the effects of powders and extracts of aronia berries and grape marc addition on physico-chemical quality indicators, microbiological stability in vitro, and antiradical activity of fondant candies, during storage. In order to...

The global presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment has been particularly considered a concerning problem with unknown consequences. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most frequently prescribed drugs in the world, and as a result, they are commonly found in different environmental compartments. In the present work,...

Medicinal plants are often used as reducing agents to prepare metal nanoparticles through green-synthesis due to natural compounds and their potential as chemotherapeutic drugs. Thus, three types of eco-friendly Ag-MnO2 nanoparticles (Ag-MnO2NPs) were synthesized using C. majus (CmNPs), V. minor (VmNPs), and a 1:1 mixture of the two extracts (MNPs)...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the physico-chemical, microbiological, sensory properties and antioxidant activity of the functional cream cheese prepared with lipophilic extracts of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.). The first step of the research consisted of an evaluation of the physico-chemical characteristics and the antioxidant ca...

Objectives: The mechanisms of obesity-associated thyroid dysfunction in children are incompletely deciphered. We aimed to evaluate whether visceral adipose tissue (VAT), insulin resistance (IR), inflammation, oxidative stress (OS) are involved in thyroid morpho-functional changes in pubertal obese children. Methods: We recruited 43 obese pubertal c...

Understanding the effects of many essential non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on plants is still limited, especially at environmentally realistic concentrations. This paper presents the influence of three of the most frequently used NSAIDs (diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen) at environmentally realistic concentrations on the autochth...

In this data article, we present supplementary data related to the research article entitled "Starch-coated green synthesized magnetite nanoparticles for removal of textile dye Optilan Blue from aqueous media" Stan et al., 2019. Data interpretations are included in the related research article Stan et al., 2019. The synthesized starch-coated Fe3O4...

Starch-coated Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized and tested as adsorbents for Optilan Blue dye removal from aqueous solutions. The four tested magnetite samples were prepared through an environmentally friendly synthetic route which uses water as solvent and biocompatible sodium bicarbonate as precipitating agent. In addition to the c...

This study investigates the influence of microwave field derived from wireless router and mobile telephony sources on polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of basil. The total phenolic content of basil extracts was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method. The amount of polyphenolic compounds in basil plants exposed to microwave irradiation was h...

The present study evaluated the anti-gout potential of an ethanolic extract from Calluna vulgaris L. Hull (ECV). A preliminary phytochemical analysis of ECV was performed by spectrophotometric and HPLC-PDA-MS methods. Hypouricemic effect of ECV was tested in vivo using the oxonate-induced hyperuricemia model in rats, systolic blood pressure being a...

Two types of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were investigated as adsorbents for the simultaneous removal of Pb(II), Cd(II), and As(III) metal ions from aqueous solution. Magnetite nanoparticles were prepared by two synthesis procedures, both using water as solvent, and are referred to as conventional Fe3O4 nanoparticles and green Fe3O4 nanoparticl...

Groundwater is an essential public and drinking water supply and its protection is a goal for global policies. Here, we investigated the presence and prevalence of antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and microbial contamination in groundwater environments at various distances from urban areas. An...

In this study, the removal efficiency of Fe 3 O 4 (grf) and Fe 3 O 4 (koh) nanoparticles was compared with the removal efficiency of Fe 3 O 4 (chem). The characterization of all synthesized magnetic adsorbents was carried out using conventional techniques such as FT-IR, TEM, XPS and VSM. The dye removal was tested for all nanoparticle samples. The...

Efficiency of conventional solvent extraction (maceration and normal refluxing) and novel extraction techniques (ultrasound-assisted extraction-UAE and microwave-assisted extraction-MAE) were compared in order to obtain an enhanced content of total flavonoid, total phenolic compounds and rosmarinic acid from the Satureja hortensis L. (Summer savory...

In the recent years, residual antibiotics are considered to be emerging environmental pollutants due to their continuous input and persistence into the aquatic ecosystem even at low concentrations. Therefore, these are necessary to develop efficient methods for the wastewater treatment. The present paper describes the efficiency of several types of...

The synthesis and characterization of [email protected] and [email protected] covered with pyrrole and pyrrole functionalized with N-succinimide is presented. The synthesis of [email protected] nanoparticles, with diameters between 5 -7 nm was performed by the reverse micelles method. The hybrid composites [email protected] nanoparticles covered by...

Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L., Lymantriinae) is a major pest of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) forests in Europe, but how its infections scale with foliage physiological characteristics, in particular with photosynthesis rates and emissions of volatile organic compounds has not been studied. Differently from the majority of insect herbivores, la...

The present work highlights on efficacy of three types of green synthesized magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) for the removal of a mixture of seven antibiotics, namely piperacillin (PIP), tazobactam (TAZ), sulfamethoxazole (SUL), tetracycline (TET), trimethoprim (TRI), ampicillin (AMP) and erythromycin (ERY) from aqueous media. Fe3O4 NPs were pre...

Antimicrobial resistance represents a growing and significant public health threat, which requires a global response to develop effective strategies and mitigate the emergence and spread of this phenomenon in clinical and environmental settings. We investigated, therefore, the occurrence and abundance of several antibiotics and antibiotic resistanc...

The aim of this study was to optimize the solid-phase extraction method of several antibiotics in order to determine their concentration in wastewater (influent and effluent) and manure samples. The selected antibiotics for the present study were ampicillin, ceftazidime, cefepime, imipenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, tetracycline, erythromycin, cipro...

The guide is an output of the EnviroAMR project, implemented by the Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca, branch of INCDSB Bucharest, as project promoter, in collaboration with the Biology and Geology Faculty from Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, with the Microbial diversity laboratory from the Norwegian University for Life Sciences and...

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method is reported for the determination of antibiotics in water. The antibiotics were simultaneously preconcentrated by solid-phase extraction. High-performance liquid chromatography was performed on a C18 modified column with gradient elution in 25 min at 40°C. The separation was carried out using g...

Exposure to sustained low intensity microwaves can constitute a stress for the plants, but its effects on plant secondary chemistry are poorly known. We studied the influence of GSM and WLAN-frequency microwaves on emissions of volatile organic compounds and content of essential oil in the aromatic plant Ocimum basilicum L. hypothesizing that micro...

Nowadays, the use of mobile telephony and wire-less devices has become more demanding, generating electromagnetic radiations. Microwave radiation can affect the growth rate of plants. For this study, the aromatic plants i.e. parsley, celery, dill, basil, were chosen as irradiated plants. This study aims to investigate the effects of irradiation wit...

The technology and computer science registered a large development in the last years. Most systems that use high technologies require special working conditions. The monitoring and the controlling are very important. The temperature and the humidity are important parameters in the operation of computer systems, industrial and research, maintaining...

An irrigation method developed in order to ensure periodic wetting of several batches of soil, for experimental plant growth, is proposed. An experimental irrigation installation, intended to perform real-time soil moisturizing, by adding known quantities (preset for a certain batch of soil) of aqueous solutions has been built and tested. The proto...

Historically, pollution has been associated with heavy metals and hydrophobic persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This has changed. Today, legacy or emerging contaminants cover a vast number of compounds including industrial man-made chemicals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals in addition to inorganic elements and nanomaterials. These compounds are...

We report the synthesis and characterization of new hybrid materials based on conducting polypyrrole (PPY) and multi wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). MWCNTs were prepared by spray-pyrolysis of liquid hydrocarbon-ferrocene solution in an Ar atmosphere. The composites (PPY-CNT) were obtained by in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole in a...

The goal of this study was to develop and validate a high-performance liquid chromatography method for the quantification of two essential oil constituents (myristicin and linalool) from extracts of the three aromatic plants exposed to low-intensity microwave radiation. The analysis was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography using a mo...

The goal of this study was to develop and validate a high-performance liquid chromatography method for the quantification of two essential oil constituents (myristicin and linalool) from extracts of the three aromatic plants exposed to low-intensity microwave radiation. The analysis was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography using a mo...

Three sample preparation methods (wet grinding followed by centrifugation, ultrasonic-assisted extraction and microwave-assisted solvent extraction) for extracting ascorbic acid (AA) from parsley, dill and celery were evaluated. AA was extracted into 8% aqueous solutions of acetic acid, metaphosphoric acid and trichloroacetic acid, respectively. An...

It is necessary to maintain the constant parameters in different systems and processes like computer grid, isotope separation plants etc. The temperature, power consumption, voltage and current are very important parameters of all processes. In this paper it was developed an application and a device based on electronic board called "AVR_NET_IO" and...

It is necessary to maintain the constant temperature around 20 Celsius degree with a maximum deviation of 4 Celsius degree in Datacenter to work in the best condition. In this aim, two software were developed in INCDTIM for control and monitoring the important environmental parameters. These applications directly communicate with an equipment hardw...

The aim of the present work was to establish a proper high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method for the quantification of linalool and myristicin from leaf extracts of parsley, dill, and celery grown in microwave fields. In order to establish the influence of stress induced by microwave irradiation on plants, the plants selected fo...

The present work reports the variation of the ascorbic acid content in leaves of parsley, dill and celery plants grown in microwave fields of two microwave frequency domains: GSM (mobile communication) and WLAN (wireless internet connection). The percentage increase in ascorbic acid content of irradiated plants reported to control plants was calcul...

A high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method has been established for the analysis of α-phellandrene and β-pinene from dill (Anethum graveolens L.) extracts obtained by different extraction techniques and with different solvents and solvent mixtures. The HPTLC analyses were performed in a normal chromatographic chamber on silica gel...