The main purpose of this study was to collect data on some of the factors that contribute to indoor air quality and to discomfort, in order to take the proper actions that can reduce the level of air pollution within houses and offices.... more
The main purpose of this study was to collect data on some of the factors that contribute to indoor air quality and to discomfort, in order to take the proper actions that can reduce the level of air pollution within houses and offices. To ascertain the contamination degree total bacterial counts, total fungal counts, suspended particulate matter, air temperature, and relative humidity have been determined. Additionally, mathematical statistical models have been elaborated for the total bacterial count, respirable particulate matter and humidity. A total number of 40 indoor air samples were collected from office and houses. The results shows that approximately 45% of the air samples from homes, and 45% of the air samples from offices had levels of total viable count higher than the recommended by "European Concerted Action-Indoor Air Quality and Its Impact on Man- Report No 12." For yeast and moulds it was observed that 40% of the air samples within homes, and 10% of the air samples within offices had levels of total viable count higher than the recommended. This highlights the need for frequent cleaning of offices and homes as well as the ventilation improvement for providing a healthy environment.
Research Interests: Environmental Science, Indoor Air Quality, Housing, Environmental Monitoring, Air pollution, and 15 moreFungi, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, Bacteria, Relative Humidity, Indoor air pollution, Particle Size, Occupational Exposure, Humidity, Particulate Matter, Environmental Exposure, Air Pollutants, Indoor air, Air Quality Index, and Air Microbiology
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Research Interests: Botany, Food Science, Biology, Essential Oil, Penicillium, and 4 moreAlternaria, Borneol, Carvacrol, and food spoilage
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Several tablet formulations containing silymarin were developed, in order to meet the requirements of different markets. Milk thistle - Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn – standardized extracts have proven their positive effect on liver... more
Several tablet formulations containing silymarin were developed, in order to meet the requirements of different markets. Milk thistle - Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn – standardized extracts have proven their positive effect on liver functionality plus other health benefits. Lactose is a widely used excipient for the production of oral solid dosage forms. One important inconvenient of lactose is related to the lactose intolerant potential customers. Cellulose, isomalt and dicalcium phosphate have been selected as alternative possible tablet binders and diluents. Laboratory and pilot batches were studied for each excipient. The pharmacotechnical properties and silybin content of the tablets were measured and recorded in accordance to the European Pharmacopoeia. All pilot batches had results in the desired range of values in order to permit large scale compacting and blistering of the tablets. Currently the formulations containing isomalt and dicalcium phosphate that made the subject of...
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The interest for developing functional beverages by using fruits is increasing every day. This article presents an improved technology for the production of fruit beverages that does not use primary deep heat treatment of raw materials.... more
The interest for developing functional beverages by using fruits is increasing every day. This article presents an improved technology for the production of fruit beverages that does not use primary deep heat treatment of raw materials. The obtained beverages were analyzed regarding several physical indicators, content in compounds that possess antioxidant properties and a sensorial assessment. Beverages obtained from chokeberry, hawthorn and rose hip, had the highest levels of biologically active substances and strawberries, blackberries, black currant and cherry, the highest overall rating for the sensorial analysis. All the developed beverages have great market potential due to their content in bioactive compounds and their appeal to consumers.
Changes in the quality of bee honey are also caused by the contamination with micro-polluting agents, toxic to consumers. This research is about chemical contamination of honey. The honey used in this study was harvested from beehives... more
Changes in the quality of bee honey are also caused by the contamination with micro-polluting agents, toxic to consumers. This research is about chemical contamination of honey. The honey used in this study was harvested from beehives situated in Copsa Mica (Sibiu region), famous for the ecological unbalances induced by the non-ferrous metal industry through pollution produced by SC Sometra SA. The amount of Pb, Cd and Zn contained in the samples harvested in the area specifi ed above have been determined using an atomic absorption spectrometer AAS. Amounts of heavy metals above the admitted limit by the OMS 975/88 have been discovered. The results suggested that honey could be used to detect contaminating agents from the environment.
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This study is focused on the modeling migration from packaging materials used in food industry from a polyethylene film to a food simulant. We tried to develop a prediction statistical mathematical model, by performing an evaluation of... more
This study is focused on the modeling migration from packaging materials used in food industry from a polyethylene film to a food simulant. We tried to develop a prediction statistical mathematical model, by performing an evaluation of influence of the effect of three parameters through an analysis of multiple correlations between overall migration concentration as the dependent variable, and the temperature and time as independent variables. This method could reduce the time and costs of the experimental work associated to the analysis by means of a tool with a wide prediction capacity.
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This report presents the composition in two microelements (copper and zinc) of three foods with high vitamins content: sea berry fruits, wheat germs and fish meat and in their oils. The content in copper and zinc was measure using the... more
This report presents the composition in two microelements (copper and zinc) of three foods with high vitamins content: sea berry fruits, wheat germs and fish meat and in their oils. The content in copper and zinc was measure using the atomic absorption spectrometry with graffito oven. The results indicates that sea berry fruits, wheat germs and fish meat are rich in microelements. A part of microelements content of these foods is founded again in sea berry, wheat germs and fish oils. The wheat germs oil has the highest content in microelements.
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Fermented dairy products are a rich source of nutrients. Buttermilk is part of fermented dairy products and is highly valued by consumers due to its sensory and nutritional qualities. The study aims to capitalize on buttermilk by adding... more
Fermented dairy products are a rich source of nutrients. Buttermilk is part of fermented dairy products and is highly valued by consumers due to its sensory and nutritional qualities. The study aims to capitalize on buttermilk by adding mushroom powder and volatile oil of dill and caraway encapsulated in sodium alginate. The research was performed over for 20 days using sensory and physicochemical analysis methods. The samples analyzed were plain buttermilk, buttermilk with encapsulated dill volatile oil, buttermilk with encapsulated caraway volatile oil, buttermilk with added mushroom powder, buttermilk with added mushroom powder and encapsulated dill volatile oil and buttermilk with the addition of mushroom powder and encapsulated caraway volatile oil. The results of the physicochemical analyzes were statistically processed using the Minitab program. The addition of mushroom powder in buttermilk has positively influenced its sensory characteristics, and the results obtained from p...
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Grape pomace and berries represent natural sources of phytochemicals that can increase the quality of life of consumers by contributing to the prevention of chronic diseases; thus, the development of a dietary supplement was necessary.... more
Grape pomace and berries represent natural sources of phytochemicals that can increase the quality of life of consumers by contributing to the prevention of chronic diseases; thus, the development of a dietary supplement was necessary. The raw material (r.m.) used for the development of the dietary supplement consisted of dried and powdered bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), red currants (Ribes rubrum L.), and red fermented pomaces (Vitis vinifera L.) from Feteasca Neagra and Cabernet Sauvignon cultivars. The particle size distribution, powder flow, total phenolic content (TPC), HPLC-DAD phenolic profile assessment, and radical scavenging assay (RSA) were employed for the analysis of the raw material. After encapsulation, the average mass and uniformity of mass, the disintegration, and the uniformity of content for the obtained capsules were performed to obtain a high-quality dietary supplement. All the assays performed complied to the compendial requirements and the TPC was deter...
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Melissa officinalis L. called in popular language lemon balm is a medicinal plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. The plant contains a variety of bioactive compounds among which volatile oils, flavonoids and phenolic acids. These are... more
Melissa officinalis L. called in popular language lemon balm is a medicinal plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. The plant contains a variety of bioactive compounds among which volatile oils, flavonoids and phenolic acids. These are responsible for a lot of beneficial effects in disease relief. Lemon balm has antioxidant, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, anxiolytic, spasmolytic and other effects. Important for its antioxidant activity are flavonoids and phenolic acids which are well known for their ability to scavenge the free radicals. Due to this effect, lemon balm protects against the development of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dermatological disorders. In this study we extracted and determined the content of the volatile oil and flavonoids from Melissa officinalis L. and we investigated the antioxidant activity of an extract obtained from dried aerial parts of lemon balm. The results showed that the volatile oil content...
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The research is aimed at finding new sources of food raw materials for the industrial use at the expense of alternative pome fruit trees (Maleae Small) cultivated in the middle zone of the Russian Federation. The mature fruits of medlar... more
The research is aimed at finding new sources of food raw materials for the industrial use at the expense of alternative pome fruit trees (Maleae Small) cultivated in the middle zone of the Russian Federation. The mature fruits of medlar (Mespilus germanica L.), quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) and hawthorns (Crataegus submollis Sarg. аnd C. punctata Jacq.) were studied. A rapid analysis of the methods of classical botanical study of morphology, anatomy and morphometry, with the addition of biochemical samples for vitamin C and oil content, was performed. The studied pome fruits are promising for the food use, as well as possibly competitive compared to imported analogues.
The research paper sets out the results of the examination of nanostructured chia seed properties by the methods of self-organization and nanoparticle tracking analysis. The research results show that the chia seed nanoparticles exhibit... more
The research paper sets out the results of the examination of nanostructured chia seed properties by the methods of self-organization and nanoparticle tracking analysis. The research results show that the chia seed nanoparticles exhibit supramolecular properties and are water-soluble; a nanocapsule medium size is from 214 to 291 nm. That said, the size of chia seed nanocapsules depends on the nature of a carbohydrate shell significantly.
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In this research, essential oils (EOs) were extracted through steaming from aerial parts of three plants: basil (Ocinum basilicum L.), peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) and oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) form Sibiu County, Romania. The GC-MS... more
In this research, essential oils (EOs) were extracted through steaming from aerial parts of three plants: basil (Ocinum basilicum L.), peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) and oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) form Sibiu County, Romania. The GC-MS analysis indicated that eugenol and apiol were the major compounds in the basil EO. Timol, ɣ-terpinene, and p-cymene were the major compounds in the volatile oil extracted from oregano and menthol and methone the main components in the peppermint EO. In the first 48 h of analysis, basil EO inhibition action was the highest against Salmonella anatum (48%), followed by Aspergillus niger (26%), Bacillus cereus (21%) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (15%); this action was maintained for 120 h for all samples. In the first 48 h, the peppermint EO showed the highest inhibition rate (50%) on B. cereus, followed by A. niger (45%), S. cerevisiae (20%) and no action against Salmonella; this action varied after 72h and 120 h by slightly increasing in case of B. c...
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L, inflorescence, microscopy, gas- cromatography, mass- spectrometry Abstract: The aim of this study is to bring new contributions to pharmacognost ical knowledge of Tanacetum vulgare L. (Asteraceae), common tansy, harvested from the... more
L, inflorescence, microscopy, gas- cromatography, mass- spectrometry Abstract: The aim of this study is to bring new contributions to pharmacognost ical knowledge of Tanacetum vulgare L. (Asteraceae), common tansy, harvested from the spontaneous flora of Transylvania. In this study, head flowers of tansy and of Tanacetum balsamita var. tanacetoides harvested from around Cluj- Napoca were used. It was carried out a microscopicall y and a gas- chromatography and a mass-spectrome try study. Head flowers of tansy presented morphological and histo-anatomical features related to those described in the scientific research. The differences to the head flowers of Tanacetum balsamita var. tanacetoides were in the involucres and pollen grains. Two compounds, selina- 3,7(11)- diene and 2-acetyl-3,4,6- trimethylpyrazine were for the first time identified in the essential oil of tansy. Thujen-2- one was the major compound. The knowledge of botanical and phytochemical characteristics of Tanacetum ...
Research Interests: Biology and Phytochemical
The development of the food industry leads to the expansion of the range of processed raw materials. Mahonia aquifolium today can be attributed to the non-traditional agricultural plants. However, the analysis of the chemical composition... more
The development of the food industry leads to the expansion of the range of processed raw materials. Mahonia aquifolium today can be attributed to the non-traditional agricultural plants. However, the analysis of the chemical composition of the fruits showed that they contain significant amount of carbohydrates, vitamin C, various minerals, which recommend it for a wider use in the diet. Also due to the presence in the fruits of Mahonia aquifolium anthocyanins can extend of the use as raw material for natural anthocyanin dyes obtaining.
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This research investigates the possibility to cultivate probiotics on wastewater from corn steeping (WCS), resulted during starch production. Commercial probiotics were first screened for their ability to use starch as glucose source by... more
This research investigates the possibility to cultivate probiotics on wastewater from corn steeping (WCS), resulted during starch production. Commercial probiotics were first screened for their ability to use starch as glucose source by cultivation on a starch-rich solidified substrate based on WCS, obtained in the lab; two probiotics PB1 and PB2 were selected because of their faster growth on the starch containing substrate and then used for cultivation on WCS. A mini-bioreactor with temperature and mixing control was used for cultivations; pH variation, total organic substances (TOS), reduced sugars (RS) content, as well as optical density at 550 nm (OD) were monitored during cultivation. WCS was first thermal treated for starch gelatinization and s,terilization, then the enzyme dextrozyme was added for starch hydrolysis to glucose and other small oligosaccharides till the RS content was 7%. During 8 days of fermentation of PB1, pH decreased very slowly from 4.5 to 3.3, TOS decrea...
The aim of this research was to isolate and characterize the micro fungi that have degraded the fresco (around 75% of the painted surface) in an old orthodox church in the Sibiu area. The main interest was to know which fungi could grow... more
The aim of this research was to isolate and characterize the micro fungi that have degraded the fresco (around 75% of the painted surface) in an old orthodox church in the Sibiu area. The main interest was to know which fungi could grow on this substrate under uncontrolled humidity and whether their growth could damage the fresco. The fungal populations attacking mural painting were identified and characterized using microbiological techniques involving cultivation, isolation, optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The analysis of fungal colonies and cultures, correlated with the microscopic analysis allowed the identification of moulds as belonging to the genus Penicillium , respectively Penicillium rugulosum and Penicillium crysogenum.
Genuine fresco by the ingredients and technique of execution used constitutes one of the supportsthat biological factors can hardly colonize. Literature of the domain reports biological attacks produced bymicroorganisms only in special... more
Genuine fresco by the ingredients and technique of execution used constitutes one of the supportsthat biological factors can hardly colonize. Literature of the domain reports biological attacks produced bymicroorganisms only in special cases, occurring after an increase in moisture support, as a result of infiltration, flood, excessive touring, etc., or after use of inappropriate materials in restoration.The paper presents the problems of a powerful fungal attack, occurred with a church mural paintingin Romania.The Orthodox Church of Jina, historical monument, in the geographical region of Transylvania, wasbuilt between 1795-1796 and decorated with an inner fresco in 1801. It was restored between 1987-1989.Within 20 years, most of the scenes, but mainly the vaults were colored with a dark layer, which obstructedthe images. For this reason , the local community required a new restoration intervention. The biologicalexpertise made to this end pointed to the existence of a massive fung...
The aim of this study was to determine the variability of several chemical compounds and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of eight types of berries harvested from two different geographical regions in the same year. The... more
The aim of this study was to determine the variability of several chemical compounds and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of eight types of berries harvested from two different geographical regions in the same year. The analyses were performed on bilberry, black currant, gooseberry, red currant, raspberry, sea buckthorn, strawberry and sour cherry, which were handpicked during the summer of 2019, in the same periods when they are typically harvested for consumer purposes. Total anthocyanins content (TAC), total flavonoids content (TFC), total polyphenolic compounds (TPC), determination of the Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), determination of the DPPH free radical scavenging assay (RSA), determination of nine phenolic compounds by HPLC-UV assay and antimicrobial activity were determined for undiluted hydroalcoholic extracts of all the studied berries. The results showed that the berries from Romania were richer in antioxidant compounds than the berries from Russi...
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The extracts obtained from two types of berries: red currant and raspberries, were evaluated for their phenolic content. They were identified and quantified by using an optimized HPLC method. During the analyze several phenolic compounds... more
The extracts obtained from two types of berries: red currant and raspberries, were evaluated for their phenolic content. They were identified and quantified by using an optimized HPLC method. During the analyze several phenolic compounds were found, like: gallic acid, (+)- catechin, syringic acid, cinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, rutin and quercetin. The total amount of phenolic compounds analyzed found in red currant was greater than the one found in raspberries, due to the low variety of phenolic compounds extracted. The greatest amount of gallic acid, (+)- catechin, syringic acid, cinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid and rutin was determined from the extraction of red currant berries and the raspberries extract contained the greatest source of quercetin. This study shows that red currant can provide the highest and most varied content of phenolic compounds from the analyzed berries.
The present paper aims to review the natural food preservatives with antimicrobial properties emphasizing their importance for the future of food manufacturing and consumers' health. The extraction procedures applied to natural... more
The present paper aims to review the natural food preservatives with antimicrobial properties emphasizing their importance for the future of food manufacturing and consumers' health. The extraction procedures applied to natural antimicrobials will be considered, followed by the description of some natural preservatives' antimicrobial mechanism of action, including (i) membrane rupture with ATP-ase activity inhibition, (ii) leakage of essential biomolecules from the cell, (iii) disruption of the proton motive force and (iiii) enzyme inactivation. Moreover, a provenance-based classification of natural antimicrobials is discussed by considering the sources of origin for the major natural preservative categories: plants, animals, microbes and fungi. As well, the structure influence on the antimicrobial potential is considered. Natural preservatives could also constitute a viable alternative to address the critical problem of microbial resistance, and to hamper the negative side ...
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Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) have been reported to hold a plentitude of health-promoting properties beyond basic nutrition, mainly attributed to their anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity. In this article, we built the... more
Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) have been reported to hold a plentitude of health-promoting properties beyond basic nutrition, mainly attributed to their anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity. In this article, we built the phytochemical profile of three wild bilberry fruit extract formulations (aqueous, methanolic, and hydro-methanolic) using UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS putative analysis, identifying 88 individual phytochemicals, mainly flavonoids (total content 8.41 ± 0.11 mg QE/g dw), free amino acids, polyphenols (total content 21.68 ± 0.19 mg GAE/g dw), carboxylic acids, and vitamins. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of the extract was assessed, reaching 78.03 ± 0.16% DPPH free radical scavenging activity, comparable to literature values determined for bilberry extracts of other origin. Due to the increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome and based on the reviewed benefits of bilberries, we tested the most potent formulation of our bilberry extracts in this biological conte...
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A critical overview of current approaches to the development of starch-containing packaging, integrating the principles of green chemistry (GC), green technology (GT) and green nanotechnology (GN) with those of green packaging (GP) to... more
A critical overview of current approaches to the development of starch-containing packaging, integrating the principles of green chemistry (GC), green technology (GT) and green nanotechnology (GN) with those of green packaging (GP) to produce materials important for both us and the planet is given. First, as a relationship between GP and GC, the benefits of natural bioactive compounds are analyzed and the state-of-the-art is updated in terms of the starch packaging incorporating green chemicals that normally help us to maintain health, are environmentally friendly and are obtained via GC. Newer approaches are identified, such as the incorporation of vitamins or minerals into films and coatings. Second, the relationship between GP and GT is assessed by analyzing the influence on starch films of green physical treatments such as UV, electron beam or gamma irradiation, and plasma; emerging research areas are proposed, such as the use of cold atmospheric plasma for the production of fil...
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In this paper, the formation of microstructure by a food polysaccharide, sodium alginate, is investigated. Optical microscopy is used to analyse the microstructural changes under the influence of concentration, temperature and storage... more
In this paper, the formation of microstructure by a food polysaccharide, sodium alginate, is investigated. Optical microscopy is used to analyse the microstructural changes under the influence of concentration, temperature and storage time. The results reveal the formation of structure after a "bottom-up" strategy, in three phases, from small clusters to elongated aggregates and to biofilms. The structure formation is
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In this paper, ten concentrated essential oils (juniper, common thyme, pine, peppermint, silver fir, eucalyptus, fennel, tarragon, caraway and wild thyme) were investigated for their antifungal activity against two mould types... more
In this paper, ten concentrated essential oils (juniper, common thyme, pine, peppermint, silver fir, eucalyptus, fennel, tarragon, caraway and wild thyme) were investigated for their antifungal activity against two mould types (Aureobasidium sp. and Alternaria sp.) isolated from masonry. The action of essential oils was investigated using the antibiogram method. Results indicated that the antifungal activity of the essential oils
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The main purpose of this study was to collect data on some of the factors that contribute to indoor air quality and to discomfort, in order to take the proper actions that can reduce the level of air pollution within houses and offices.... more
The main purpose of this study was to collect data on some of the factors that contribute to indoor air quality and to discomfort, in order to take the proper actions that can reduce the level of air pollution within houses and offices. To ascertain the contamination degree total bacterial counts, total fungal counts, suspended particulate matter, air temperature, and relative humidity have been determined. Additionally, mathematical statistical models have been elaborated for the total bacterial count, respirable particulate matter and humidity. A total number of 40 indoor air samples were collected from office and houses. The results shows that approximately 45% of the air samples from homes, and 45% of the air samples from offices had levels of total viable count higher than the recommended by "European Concerted Action-Indoor Air Quality and Its Impact on Man- Report No 12." For yeast and moulds it was observed that 40% of the air samples within homes, and 10% of the air samples within offices had levels of total viable count higher than the recommended. This highlights the need for frequent cleaning of offices and homes as well as the ventilation improvement for providing a healthy environment.