Honey Adulteration Detection via Ultraviolet-Visible Spectral Investigation Coupled with Chemometric Analysis.

Any change in the composition or physicochemical parameters of honey outside the standardized intervals may be deemed fraud, irrespective of direct introduction of certain substances or feeding honeybees with syrups. Simple and rapid tools along with more sophisticated ones are required to monitor fraudulent practices in the honey trade. In this work, UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to identify and quantify six Romanian honey types (five monofloral and one polyfloral) mixed with commercially available corn syrup, corn syrup with plant extracts, inverted syrup, and fruit syrup at different concentrations (5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%).

Bee Bread: A Promising Source of Bioactive Compounds with Antioxidant Properties-First Report on Some Antimicrobial Features.

Bee bread has received attention due to its high nutritional value, especially its phenolic composition, which enhances life quality. The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical and antimicrobial properties of bee bread (BB) samples from Romania. Initially, the bee bread alcoholic extracts (BBEs) were obtained from BB collected and prepared by bees.

Hybrid nanomaterial-based indirect electrochemical sensing of glyphosate in surface water: a promising approach for environmental monitoring.

Glyphosate (GLY), a widely utilized pesticide, poses a significant threat to human health even at minute concentrations. In this study, we propose an innovative electrochemical sensor for the indirect detection of GLY in surface water samples. The sensor incorporates a nanohybrid material composed of multi-layer graphene decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), synthesized in a single-step electrochemical process.

Antioxidant and Wound Healing Bioactive Potential of Extracts Obtained from Bark and Needles of Softwood Species.

Interest in the extraction of phytochemical bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols from biomass, has recently increased due to their valuable biological potential as natural sources of antioxidants, which could be used in a wide range of applications, from foods and pharmaceuticals to green polymers and bio-based materials. The present research study aimed to provide a comprehensive chemical characterization of the phytochemical composition of forest biomass (bark and needles) of softwood species ( L., H.

Recent progresses in compound specific isotope analysis of halogenated persistent organic pollutants. Assessing the transformation of halogenated persistent organic pollutants at contaminated sites.

Compound specific isotope analysis was extensively used to characterise the environmental processes associated with the abiotic and biotic transformation of persistent halogenated organic pollutants including those of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). In the last years, the compound specific isotope analysis was applied as tool to evaluate the environmental fate and was expanded to larger molecules like brominated flame retardants and polychlorinated biphenyls. Multi-element (C, H, Cl, Br) CSIA methods have been also employed both in laboratory and field experiments.

Discrimination of Olive Oil and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil from Other Vegetable Oils by Targeted and Untargeted HRMS Profiling of Phenolic and Triterpenic Compounds Combined with Chemometrics.

Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) and virgin olive oil (VOO) are valuable natural products of great economic interest for their producing countries, and therefore, it is necessary to establish methods capable of proving the authenticity of these oils on the market. This work presents a methodology for the discrimination of olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil from other vegetable oils based on targeted and untargeted high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) profiling of phenolic and triterpenic compounds coupled with multivariate statistical analysis of the data. Some phenolic compounds (cinnamic acid, coumaric acids, apigenin, pinocembrin, hydroxytyrosol and maslinic acid), secoiridoids (elenolic acid, ligstroside and oleocanthal) and lignans (pinoresinol and hydroxy and acetoxy derivatives) could be olive oil biomarkers, whereby these compounds are quantified in higher amounts in EVOO compared to other vegetable oils.

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity Evaluation of Homodrimane Sesquiterpenoids with a Benzimidazole Unit.

Herein we report a feasible study concerning the synthesis and the in vitro antimicrobial activity of some new homodrimane sesquiterpenoids with a benzimidazole unit. Based on some homodrimane carboxylic acids, on their acyl chlorides and intermediate monoamides, a series of seven -homodrimenoyl-2-amino-1,3-benzimidazoles and 2-homodrimenyl-1,3-benzimidazoles was synthesized. The syntheses involved the decarboxylative cyclization and condensation of the said acids or acyl chlorides with -phenylendiamine and 2-aminobenzimidazole, as well as the -TsOH-mediated cyclodehydration of the said monoacylamides.

Do ultrasonic field effects upon the polyphenolics profile of propolis extracts improve their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity?

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was applied for polyphenols extraction from Romanian propolis, followed by comparison with previous maceration work. The effects consisted not only in time reduction and extraction yield increase, but also in polyphenolics profile modification in terms of flavonoids / polyphenolic acids ratio. The operating parameters were ultrasounds (US) field exposure time (10-100 min), solvent composition (water, 25 % and 50 % ethanolic solutions, w/w), and liquid:solid ratio (2:1, 4:1 and 6:1, w:w), while keeping temperature constant.

Wound Healing and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Newly Developed Ointment Containing Jujube Leaves Extract.

Mill. (jujube) is a well-known medicinal plant with pronounced wound healing properties. The present study aimed to establish the chemical composition of the lyophilized ethanolic extract from Romanian leaves and to evaluate the healing and anti-inflammatory properties of a newly developed lipophilic ointment containing 10% dried jujube leaves extract.

Distribution, sources and ecological risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in waters and sediments from Olt River dam reservoirs in Romania.

This study provides important data on the distribution, sources and ecological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in surface waters and sediments collected from dam reservoirs on middle and lower course of the Olt River, the main tributary of the Danube, until the discharge into the Black Sea. A wide variation range of total PAHs concentrations in water (from 1.3 to 46.

Eco-Friendly Solution Based on Hydro-Alcoholic Extract to Prevent Biodeterioration of Cultural Heritage Objects and Buildings.

Biodeterioration of cultural heritage is caused by different organisms capable of inducing complex alteration processes. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of hydro-alcoholic extract to inhibit the growth of deteriogenic microbial strains. For this, the physico-chemical characterization of the vegetal extract by UHPLC-MS/MS, its antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity on a representative number of biodeteriogenic microbial strains, as well as the antioxidant activity determined by DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP, TEAC methods, were performed.

Bee Pollen Extracts: Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Properties, and Effect on the Growth of Selected Probiotic and Pathogenic Bacteria.

This paper evaluated the chemical and biological properties of bee pollen samples from Romania. Firstly, the bee pollen alcoholic extracts (BPEs) were obtained from raw bee pollen harvested by bees. The chemical composition of BPE was obtained by determination of total phenol content and total flavonoid content, UHPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis of phenolic compounds, and GC-MS analysis of fatty acids, esters, and terpenes.

Study of the impact of vine cultivation technology on the Feteasca Neagra wine phenolic composition and antioxidant properties.

In this work a comparative assessment was performed on individual and total polyphenols and biochemical properties of some Feteasca Neagra red wines obtained from grapes cultivated with different farming technologies (organic vs. conventional). The effect of a 30% cluster thinning treatment in both organic and conventional vineyard, compared to control plots with no thinning, was also monitored.

Demonstration of Extract Inhibitory Effect on Biodeteriogenic Microbial Strain Growth, Biofilm Development, and Enzymatic and Organic Acid Production.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the efficiency of hydro-alcoholic extract (ASE) againstFigure growth, biofilm development, and soluble factor production of more than 200 biodeteriogenic microbial strains isolated from cultural heritage objects and buildings. The plant extract composition and antioxidant activities were determined spectrophotometrically and by HPLC-MS. The bioevaluation consisted of the qualitative (adapted diffusion method) and the quantitative evaluation of the inhibitory effect on planktonic growth (microdilution method), biofilm formation (violet crystal microtiter method), and production of microbial enzymes and organic acids.

Polyphenolics profile effects upon the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of propolis extracts.

Propolis, a complex bee product, is a source of numerous bioactive principles, beneficial for human health, therefore it is intensively studied. In the present work, extracts of propolis from Bihor Romanian County were studied to identify the relationship between the polyphenolic derivatives profile and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Extracts were obtained using water and 25%, 50%, and 70% ethanolic solutions (w/w), at 2:1, 4:1, and 6:1 liquid: solid ratios (w/w).

Chemical Composition and Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity of Lavender Essential Oil and Some By-Products.

The producers of essential oils from the Republic of Moldova care about the quality of their products and at the same time, try to capitalize on the waste from processing. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the chemical composition of lavender ( L.) essential oil and some by-products derived from its production (residual water, residual herbs), as well as to assess their "in vitro" antimicrobial activity.

Profiling of Phenolic Compounds and Triterpene Acids of Twelve Apple ( Borkh.) Cultivars.

Apple ( Borkh.), a popular and widely cultivated fruit world-wide, contains bioactive compounds responsible for their health benefits. Here we report the amounts of some bioactive compounds: two major triterpenes (oleanolic and ursolic acids) and polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavan-3-ols, flavonoids and t-resveratrol), together with bioactive properties of twelve apple cultivars measured by chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods.

Valorization of Invasive Plant Cellulose Microfibers and Phenolic Compounds for Obtaining Multi-Functional Wound Dressings with Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties.

is an aggressive invasive species in Eastern Europe, producing a significant number of pods that could represent an inexhaustible resource of raw material for various applications. The aim of this study was to extract cellulose from the pods, characterize it by spectrophotometric and UHPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis, and use it to fabricate a wound dressing that is multi-functionalized with phenolic compounds extracted from the leaves of the same species. The obtained cellulose microfibers (CM) were functionalized, lyophilized, and characterized by ATR-FTIR and SEM.

Comparison of the Polyphenolic Profile of . and . Sprouts in Different Germination Stages Using the UHPLC-Q Exactive Hybrid Quadrupole Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

Identification and quantification of polyphenols in plant material are of great interest since they make a significant contribution to its total bioactivity. In the present study, an UPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS approach using the variable data acquisition mode (DIA) was developed and applied for rapid separation, identification, and quantification of the main polyphenolic compounds in . and .

Recent progresses in analytical GC and LC mass spectrometric based-methods for the detection of emerging chlorinated and brominated contaminants and their transformation products in aquatic environment.

This paper is an overview of screening methods recently developed for emerging halogenated contaminants and their transformation products. The target screening methods are available only for a limited number of emerging pollutants since the reference standards for these compounds are not always available, but a risk assessment of those micropollutants in environment must be performed anyhow. Therefore, the chromatographic techniques hyphenated with high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) trend to become indispensable methods for suspect and non-target screening of emerging halogenated contaminants.

Application of Spectroscopic UV-Vis and FT-IR Screening Techniques Coupled with Multivariate Statistical Analysis for Red Wine Authentication: Varietal and Vintage Year Discrimination.

One of the most important issues in the wine sector and prevention of adulterations of wines are discrimination of grape varieties, geographical origin of wine, and year of vintage. In this experimental research study, UV-Vis and FT-IR spectroscopic screening analytical approaches together with chemometric pattern recognition techniques were applied and compared in addressing two wine authentication problems: discrimination of (i) varietal and (ii) year of vintage of red wines produced in the same oenological region. UV-Vis and FT-IR spectra of red wines were registered for all the samples and the principal features related to chemical composition of the samples were identified.

Establishing authenticity of honey via comprehensive Romanian honey analysis.

Assessing the authenticity of honey is a serious problem that has gained much interest internationally because honey has frequently been subject to various fraudulent practices, including mislabelling of botanical and geographical origin and mixing with sugar syrups or honey of lower quality. To protect the health of consumers and avoid competition, which could create an unstable market, consumers, beekeepers and regulatory bodies are interested in having reliable analytical methodologies to detect non-compliant honey. This paper gives an overview of the different approaches used to assess the authenticity of honey, specifically by the application of advanced instrumental techniques, including spectrometric, spectroscopic and chromatographic methods coupled with chemometric interpretation of the data.