The therapeutic benefits of extracts obtained from different red grape fractions were thoroughly studied, however, data regarding the comparison of phytochemical extracts prepared from the same varieties coming from organic versus conventional management systems are rather lacking. The present study aimed at comparing some of the phytochemical characteristics and antimicrobial activity of hydroalcoholic (50% v/v) extracts obtained from four varieties of red grapes cultivated respectively in organic and conventional vineyards. Total flavonoid content, total phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity were determined by molecular absorption spectroscopy. Antimicrobial activity of the studied extracts was evaluated against common bacterial strains isolated from different habitats according to specific lab procedures. The analyses were performed in solid broths by applying the disk diffusion method, which allowed for the simultaneous determination of the spectrum of the sensitivity of the tested bacteria as well as the values of the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC). It was found that favorable antagonistic activities against the tested bacteria strains were exhibited by the hydroalcoholic extracts from the seeds of the organic varieties, respectively the skin of the conventional varieties.

Due to its valuable organic compounds, grape pomace represents a valuable resource in the creation of value-added food products. In this study, we investigated grape pomace hydroalcoholic extracts obtained by ultrasonication from two white and two red Romanian grape varieties. The phytochemical parameters, i.e., polyphenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, condensed tannins content, and antioxidant activity, were determined by UV-Vis spectrometry. The statistical analysis revealed that Tămâioasă Românească and Negru de Drăgășani, respectively, and Fetească Albă and Fetească Neagră are similar to each other. Significant differences among the pomaces obtained from different grape varieties were noticed in terms of their phenolic contents. The red varieties (Fetească Neagră and Negru de Drăgășani) were richest in terms of total phenolics and total anthocyanins, respectively. The antioxidant activity of extracts obtained from grape pomace showed that Negru de Drăgășani had the higher value due to its high amounts of polyphenols, followed by Fetească Neagră, Fetească Albă, and Tămâioasă Românească. Higher levels of bioactive polyphenolic substances, i.e., catechin, myricetin, resveratrol, and vanillic acid, were found in the pomace of Negru de Drăgășani extracts using high-performance liquid chromatography. These results emphasize the potential of the Negru de Drăgășani variety to be further exploited for nutritional and functional applications.

This study aims to investigate the chemical composition of nineteen painted pottery fragments belonging to the Eneolithic Petresti culture in order to identify the relationship between the ceramic artifacts and potential clay sources located in the proximity of the archeological site. Two analytical techniques (attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (ATR-FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) have been used to achieve these goals. SEM-EDS was especially useful for morphological investigation and the multielemental composition of the pottery and pigments, while FTIR provided information on the ceramic and clay composition. The results show similarities for both techniques and offer preliminary information regarding the clay composition and some potential sources of the raw material used for pottery manufacturing in the Eneolithic period. Cluster analysis using Ward Linkage method also correlated the clay sources with the analyzed painted pottery. Despite the limited numbers of sample, the archaeometric results indicate that there is an obvious link between the painted pottery belonging to Petresti culture and four of the selected clay sources from the Alba Iulia-Lumea Noua archeological site. Hence, some of the local clay sources may be considered to be the raw material for the Petresti pottery manufacturing.

The elemental composition and antioxidant activity have been obtained for regional mushrooms species, wild and cultivated, from Dambovita County, Romania. A multivariate approach and data mining techniques (principal component analysis and cluster analysis, respectively) were applied in order to evaluate the correlation matrix for these parameters for both caps and stipes of mushrooms. The associations between metallic elements (i.e., Fe, Cu, Cd, Pb, Co, Ni, Zn, Mn, Cr, Na, K, Ca and Mg) correlated with antioxidant activity, total phenolics, and total flavonoids were carried out by using a full factorial linear design. The multivariate functional analysis revealed on associated accumulation of several elements in mushrooms. In the cluster analysis, the dataset was treated to appreciate the correlation between metals group (e.g., heavy metals, such as Fe, Cu, Cd, Pb, Co, Ni, Zn, Mn, Cr, and important nutritional elements, such as Na, K, Ca, and Mg). Fungal species with similar characteristics in terms of metal accumulation formed two distinctive clusters. From a point of view of the consumer, the content of Cd and especially Pb in the fruiting bodies of the analyzed mushrooms species may be considered elevated, so that mapping the risk is compulsory. Applying the chemometric tools in the sense mentioned above, as well as in helping the scientific research by optimizing the number of data points, was shown to be extremely useful.

This study is the first attempt to decipher the effect of particulate matter (PM) composition on people’s health and on historic sites, in correlation with the daily and seasonal microclimate monitoring of the indoor and outdoor areas of the Roman Mosaic Edifice museum (the maritime port of Constanta, Romania). More specifically, the increase of metal concentrations in particulate matter during the summer of 2018 and spring of 2019 in the museum under investigation could possibly be associated with the microclimates of both seasons, with coastal factors, as well as with the anthropic activities specific to the port of Constanta. FTIR and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) techniques, used for the investigation of PM_2.5–10 samples, revealed high concentrations of Fe, Al-rich, and soluble particles inside the investigated museum area. In this respect, the chemical measurements of the PM_2.5–10 masses highlighted high concentrations of heavy metals (i.e., Al, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Pb) and low concentrations of trace metals (i.e., Cr, Ni, Cu, and Cd). Statistical analysis showed that the chemical compositions of the particulate matter in the indoor and outdoor areas of the Roman Mosaic Edifice were influenced by microclimatic conditions, mainly temperature and relative humidity (RH). A potential health risk for tourists is the thermal and humid conditions, alongside the toxic components of the particulate matter. This research seeks to provide solutions for improving the environmental conditions inside the Roman Mosaic Edifice and to offer useful suggestions concerning health promotion and the protection of museum exhibits against possible future deterioration.