Erika Ribechini’s research while affiliated with University of Pisa and other places

The National Museum of Transylvanian History in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, features a History of Pharmacy Collection that documents the evolution of pharmacies in the region since the 16th century. Within the “Pharmatrans” project (2021–2023), we investigated the chemical composition of ointments from fourteen historical pharmaceutical containers dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Most samples were from an aristocratic traveling medicine chest, a key artifact in the collection. This study marks the first extensive analysis of historical pharmaceutical formulations in Romania, enhancing our understanding of these valuable items. The main ingredients of formulations were characterized using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), solid-phase microextraction–GC–MS (SPME–GC–MS), and pyrolysis–GC–MS (Py–GC–MS). Additionally, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF) was employed for the detailed analysis of lipid materials and polar compounds. Elemental analysis was conducted using field emission gun–scanning electron microscope (FEG–SEM) with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results revealed that twelve out of fourteen mixtures contained interpretable organic content, often aligning with the vessels’ labels. The findings indicate that Transylvanian elites in the late 18th century had access to both rare drugs and traditional remedies, reflecting contemporary trends in pharmacy.

The COST EU-PoTaRCh Action establishes a network focused on the past, present, and future significance, production, and use of major forest by-products in Europe and beyond. The Action centers around forest by-products—primarily potash, tar, resin, and charcoal (PoTaRCh), along with plant extracts—which have been produced and utilized for over 100,000 years due to their unique chemical, biological, and therapeutic properties. The primary goal of the Action is to demonstrate the importance of these products for the socio-economic development of European countries and beyond, as well as their impact on biodiversity and the natural environment. The Action's objectives are organized into five Working Groups (WGs), each aligned with specific areas of interest: heritage, chemical characterization, archaeology, environmental history, and future perspectives of PoTaRCh materials. A key aspect of the Action is its support for stakeholders outside the scientific community who possess knowledge of PoTaRCh products through their use in industries such as production, education, and the promotion of forests' natural and cultural heritage. In doing so, the Action brings together stakeholders with diverse activity profiles, including museums, state forests, the forestry industry, associations dedicated to preserving traditions, and the tourism sector. The EU-PoTaRCh Action adheres to the three key principles of COST’s inclusiveness policy: participation of inclusiveness target countries, gender balance, and the involvement of young researchers, including in leadership positions.

The dynamics of our species’ dispersal into the Pacific remains intensely debated. The authors present archaeological investigations in the Raja Ampat Islands, north-west of New Guinea, that provide the earliest known evidence for humans arriving in the Pacific more than 55 000–50 000 years ago. Seafaring simulations demonstrate that a northern equatorial route into New Guinea via the Raja Ampat Islands was a viable dispersal corridor to Sahul at this time. Analysis of faunal remains and a resin artefact further indicates that exploitation of both rainforest and marine resources, rather than a purely maritime specialisation, was important for the adaptive success of Pacific peoples.

An array of analytical techniques (GC–MS, SPME–GC–MS, RP–HPLC–MS, FIA–MS, HPLC–UV, ICP–MS) was used to study the molecular composition of six ointment residues from the first third of the twentieth century. The objectives of the study were (i) to validate the applicability of a previously proposed strategy for the identification of lipids and active pharmaceutical ingredients in remains of historical pharmaceuticals and (ii) to shed light on early twentieth-century pharmaceutical practice. Although no further information on the composition of the samples studied was available (all were marked by a period pharmacist with the general label “Ointment” only), it was possible to identify the likely lipidic ointment bases as well as quantify the main likely active substances in all samples. This allowed us to partially reconstruct the composition of each ointment and to estimate its original purpose.

Bioplastics are produced in growing amounts due to their environmental benefits, but their disposal routes remain ambiguous. A hydrothermal treatment (HT) may be a sustainable process to improve the fate of waste bioplastics, but nearly no information is available on how they respond to it. In this work, HT of biodegradable bioplastics was performed, and the resulting solid and liquid products were characterized by elemental analysis, analytical pyrolysis-based techniques, ion chromatography, and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. We selected tableware based on polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose, and Mater-Bi (MB) and performed HT at 160−200 °C. MB was identified as a mixture of PLA and polybutylene succinate (PBS). Higher treatment temperatures enhanced the solubilization, which was very marked for PLA and MB and minor for cellulose. Characterization of the solid residues revealed that PLA and MB were quantitatively degraded at 180 °C and above, while cellulose could never be fully degraded. The analysis of the aqueous phases from the HT of PLA and MB revealed the presence of an array of oligomers of PLA and PBS at low temperatures and of the corresponding monomers (lactic acid and succinic acid) at high temperatures: their recovery could represent a way to give new life to waste bioplastics.

Alkyl levulinates (ALs) are strategic compounds for the development of sustainable energy transition. In this regard, the direct alcoholysis of fructose and inulin for the selective ethyl levulinate (EL) production was investigated with a One‐Factor‐At‐a‐Time (OFAT) approach employing diluted H2SO4 as catalyst to clarify the role of the main reaction parameters (substrate and acid loadings, temperature, reaction time). The OFAT investigation on fructose ethanolysis allowed to reach the EL yield of 91.5 mol%. The inulin ethanolysis was then optimized adopting the multivariate approach based on the Response Surface Methodology (RSM), which highlighted the interplay of the reaction parameters on the selective EL production. This allowed to identify the optimal conditions to reach the highest EL yield (up to 89.3 mol%) and also those which ensured the highest EL concentration, adopting a substrate loading (14 wt%) higher than the majority ones reported in the literature according to the high gravity approach, and the lowest diethyl ether (DEE) by‐product yield. The DEE formation is scarcely investigated in the literature, but it can negatively influence the alcoholysis process, thus it was considered in this work. Moreover, the humin solid residue was deeply characterized to envisage its possible applications, under a circular economy perspective.

The aim of this paper is to characterize materials belonging to one of the masks coming from the Lord of Ucupe's tomb in the region of Lambayeque in Peru. The mask belongs to the Moche culture which lived in the north of Peru since 100 CE. Along with the study of the extraordinary metal alloy technique using X-ray fluorescence (ED XRF) integrated with the Monte Carlo simulation, this paper investigates the blackish material used as an adhesive for its inlaid eyes. This material was analysed through the ATR FT-IR and characterized through Py-GC/MS and GC/MS for the organic components and SEM-EDS for the inorganic components. The chemical characterization of the adhesive material coming from this type of artefact, based on our knowledge of current literature, is the first on this material and allows us to take a further step into the understanding of the constituents used for this purpose.