In this study the adsorption and photodegradation capabilities of modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), using tartrazine as a model pollutant, is demonstrated. MWCNT-COOH/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 diffraction in powder (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, synchrotron-based Scanning PhotoElectron Microscopy (SPEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. It was found that the optimal adsorption conditions were pH 4 for MWCNT-COOH/Fe₃O₄ and pH 3 for MWCNT-COOH/Fe₃O₄/NiO, temperature 25 °C, adsorbent dose 1 g L⁻¹, initial concentration of tartrazine 5 mg L⁻¹ for MWCNT-COOH/Fe₃O₄ and 10 mg L⁻¹ for MWCNT-COOH/Fe₃O₄/NiO and contact time 5 min for MWCNT-COOH/Fe₃O₄/NiO and 15 min for MWCNT-COOH/Fe₃O₄. Moreover, the predominant degradation process was elucidated simultaneously, with and without simulated sunlight irradiation, using thermal lens spectrometry (TLS) and UV–Vis absorption spectrophotometry. The results indicated the prevalence of the photodegradation mechanism over adsorption from the beginning of the degradation process.

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). These NPs were characterized using S/TEM, EDX, XRD, and FTIR methods, and their biological activity was assessed in vitro on normal keratinocytes (HaCaT) and skin melanoma cells (A375). All synthesized NPs had manganese oxide in the middle, and silver oxide and plant extract on the exterior. The NPs had different forms (polygonal, oval, and spherical), uniformly distributed, with crystalline structures and different sizes (9.3 nm for MNPs; 10 nm for VmNPs, and 32.4 nm for CmNPs). The best results were obtained with VmNPs, which reduced the viability of A375 cells up 38.8% and had a moderate cytotoxic effect on HaCaT (46.4%) at concentrations above 500 µg/mL. At the same concentrations, CmNPs had a rather proliferative effect, whereas MNPs negatively affected both cell lines. For the first time, this paper proved the synergistic action of the combined C. majus and V. minor extracts to form small and uniformly distributed Ag-MnO₂NPs with high potential for selective treatments.

The main purpose of the present paper is to emphasize the non-invasive effect of some new prepared nanomaterials on skin diseases (psoriasis) together with the procedures to obtain them. These new materials are based on gold nanoparticles and natural compounds extracted from native plants of the Adoxaceae family (European cranberrybush – Viburnum opulus L. and European black elderberry – Sambucus nigra L.) and possess a known anti-inflammatory activity mainly due to their high content of anthocyanins and other polyphenols. The nanomaterials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Studies in vivo and in vitro were made in order to determine the toxicity of the products. Based on the obtained nanomaterials, specific dermatological creams were prepared. Their effect on psoriatic lesions, in comparison with the hydrocortisone creams, was studied.

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 and carotenoids and increased the amounts of polyphenols and antioxidant capacity. Ultrastructural analysis showed that the plants treated with CuO NPs were negatively affected. Soil amending completely inhibited the accumulation of seventeen elements, while K, Br, Al, and Zn were accumulated and Cl, Na, Ba, and Sr content decreased in wheat samples, regardless of the type of NPs applied. The application of chemically obtained NPs induced the most significant changes, completely blocking the assimilation of Fe, Mo, As, Sb, and Sm, and favoring much higher accumulation of Br than biogenic NPs. The decrease in chlorophylls and carotenoids is correlated with increase in antioxidant capacity, and occurs with increase of Mo, Al, Mg, K, Zn, and Ca content. The behavior of total polyphenols is correlated with Br content, and antagonist to Al behavior. From the point of view of bioactive compounds, the most affected plants were those that grew in the presence of CuO-NP-cel, while from the point of view of elementary analysis, the most affected plants were those grown in the presence of CuO-NP. By corroborating the obtained results, it was found that the CuO NPs have a negative effect on wheat plants.

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 determined by HPLC–DAD–ESI-MS. The total polyphenol content and the antioxidant activity were spectrophotometrically quantified. The antimicrobial properties of SE and RE against gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Geobacillus stearothermophilus), gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Salmonella abony) and yeasts (Candida albicans) were analyzed in vitro. The encapsulated extracts were used to prepare the functional concentrated yogurt. It was established that the addition of 0.30–0.45% microencapsulated plant extracts caused the inhibition of the post-fermentation process, the improvement of the textural parameters of the yogurt during storage, thus the shelf life of the yogurt increased by seven days, compared to the yogurt simple. Mutual information analysis was applied to establish the correlation between the concentration of the encapsulated extracts on the sensory, physical-chemical, and textural characteristics of the yogurt.