Antoanela Popescu

Dr. Antoanela Popescu


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

14Years (2013-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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31 March 2025 in Marine Drugs
Verified
Journal Article
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ECEmin Cadar
Emin Cadar
APAntoanela Popescu
Antoanela Popescu
ADAna-Maria Laura Dragan
Ana-Maria Laura Dragan
APAna-Maria Pesterau
Ana-Maria Pesterau
CPCarolina Pascale
Carolina Pascale
AIAna-Maria Ionescu
Ana-Maria Ionescu
Currently, marine algae are still an under-exploited natural bioresource of bioactive compounds. Seaweeds represent a sustainable source for obtaining bioactive compounds that can be useful for the fabrication of new active products with biomedical benefits and applications as biomedicinals and nutraceuticals. The objective of this review is to highlight scientific papers that identify biocompounds from marine macroalgae and emphasize their benefits. The method used was data analysis to systematize information to identify biocompounds and their various benefits in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals. The research results demonstrate the multiple uses of seaweeds. As pharmaceuticals, seaweeds are rich sources of bioactive compounds like polysaccharides, protein compounds, pigments, and polyphenols, which have demonstrated various pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anticoagulant, and potentially anticarcinogenic effects. Seaweed has gained recognition as a functional food and offers a unique set of compounds that promote body health, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In conclusion, the importance of this review is to expand the possibilities for utilizing natural resources by broadening the areas of research for human health and marine nutraceuticals.

13 June 2025 in Marine Drugs
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Journal Article
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APAna-Maria Pesterau
Ana-Maria Pesterau
APAntoanela Popescu
Antoanela Popescu
RSRodica Sirbu
Rodica Sirbu
ECEmin Cadar
Emin Cadar
FBFlorica Busuricu
Florica Busuricu
CTCezar Laurentiu Tomescu
Cezar Laurentiu Tomescu
Skin health must be ensured at all times in the case of wounds when the skin is subjected to traumatic actions that require multiple wound-healing measures. Wound healing is a complex, multi-phase biological process critical for restoring skin integrity after trauma. This study investigates the development and evaluation of a novel composite hydrogel formulated from collagen peptides extracted from the jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo and hydroethanolic extracts from the brown alga Cystoseira barbata, both sourced from the Romanian Black Sea coast. Throughout the work, the characteristics due to the biochemical compositions of the extracts from the brown alga C. barbata and from the jellyfish R. pulmo are highlighted as important, emphasizing the content of polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids. Total phenol content was analyzed for three extracts from natural products. The biochemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and in vitro wound-healing properties of the components and their composite (JPC-ALG) were assessed. The rheological behavior and optical microscopy studies of collagen hydrogels were prepared. The general mechanisms of wound healing with the involvement of polysaccharides and collagen peptides existing in all categories of extracts were highlighted. The study of the effects of JPC-ALG composites and individual extracts on fibroblast and keratocyte cell lines is also presented. Results demonstrated that the composite exhibited synergistic effects, enhancing fibroblast and keratinocyte migration and proliferation, key factors in wound closure. The findings support the potential application of this marine-derived bioactive composite as a promising biomaterial for wound-healing therapies.

4 July 2013 in Analytical Methods
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NMNicoleta Matei
Nicoleta Matei
GRGabriel Lucian Radu
Gabriel Lucian Radu
GTGeorgiana Truica
Georgiana Truica
SESandra A. V. EREMIA
Sandra A. V. EREMIA
SDSimona Dobrinas
Simona Dobrinas
APAntoanela Popescu
Antoanela Popescu
A simple, fast and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry method is described and validated in terms of linearity, accuracy/recovery and reproducibility, as well as limit of detection for the determination of ascorbic acid from grape (Vitis vinifera L.) samples from Murfatlar vineyard. Good linearity (correlation factor > 0.9970) was achieved in the concentration range 0.5–15 μg mL−1 for AA in acetic acid 0.1% solution. The obtained RSD values (below 5%) indicated excellent repeatability of the proposed method. The limit of detection was 0.32 μg mL−1 while the recovery ranged between 96.86 and 102.41%. The advantages of the method are: small amounts of sample and solvents, short analysis time and minimum steps for sample preparation.

1 April 2021 in Processes
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MBMihaela Mirela Bratu
Mihaela Mirela Bratu
SBSemaghiul Birghila
Semaghiul Birghila
APAntoanela Popescu
Antoanela Popescu
BNBogdan-Stefan Negreanu-Pirjol
Bogdan-Stefan Negreanu-Pirjol
MRMarius Daniel Radu
Marius Daniel Radu
CBCorina Birghila
Corina Birghila
Using two methods (ferric reducing antioxidant power and radical scavenging activity), the total polyphenol content (Folin–Ciocalteu reagent) and polyphenol patterns (HPLC) in 10 commercial lager beer brands produced in Romania was determined. Samples bottled in glass, plastic and aluminium packages were analysed for each brand when available. Results have indicated considerable variations in the total and individual phenolic contents as well as antioxidant activity across beer brands. Gallic and feulic acids were the dominant phenolic compounds identified samples. The statistical analysis indicates a significant difference between the levels of antioxidant activity detected using DPPH and FRAP, for all three types of material considered. The statistical test ANOVA indicates that the polyphenol concentration is similar across all types of material.

13 April 2022 in Polish Journal of Environmental Studies
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Journal Article
Closed access
APAntoanela Popescu
Antoanela Popescu
SBSemaghiul Birghila
Semaghiul Birghila
MRMarius Daniel Radu
Marius Daniel Radu
MBMihaela Mirela Bratu
Mihaela Mirela Bratu
Two variants of medicinal wine were prepared, through the maceration of sage leaves (Salvia officinalis L. Lamiaceae) and sea rush rhizomes (Juncus maritimus Lam. Juncaceae) in natural red wine for 21 days. The ratio of dried plants added to wine was 0.1 % w/w for each in the first extract (medicinal wine 1) and 0.25% w/w for each in the second one (medicinal wine 2). The extraction conditions were similar in both products. Subsequently the two macerates were filtered and subjected to analysis (total polyphenols content Folin-Ciocalteu), monomeric anthocyanins content, polymerised compounds percentage, polyphenolic acids by HPLC and antioxidant activity (PHOTOCHEM). The two medicinal wines contain high amounts of polyphenols but also anthocyanins from the wine. Both medicinal wines contain higher polymerised compounds percentage given to the red wine most likely due to the polyphenol oxidases from dried plants. The increase of the antioxidant activities of the two macerates rendered to the raw wine corelates well with the increase of polyphenol amount during the extraction process in the two products. The wine behaves as a good selective extraction phase for some of the polyphenolic compounds.

7 January 2026 in Pharmaceuticals
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CPCarolina Pascale
Carolina Pascale
ABAlexandru Burcea
Alexandru Burcea
Claudia Florina Bogdan-AndreescuClaudia Florina Bogdan-Andreescu
Claudia Florina Bogdan-Andreescu
ECEmin Cadar
Emin Cadar
APAntoanela Popescu
Antoanela Popescu
RSRodica Sirbu
Rodica Sirbu
Background/Objectives: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains a major therapeutic challenge due to treatment-related toxicity and impaired oral tissue regeneration. This study aimed to develop and characterize a novel biocomposite based on bioactive compounds from Ganoderma lucidum incorporated into marine collagen derived from Rhizostoma pulmo and to evaluate its physicochemical properties, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and in vitro antitumor potential in the oral cavity. Methods: Hydroalcoholic extracts of G. lucidum and pepsin-soluble collagen peptides from R. pulmo jellyfish were prepared and combined to obtain two hydrogel biocomposites with different component ratios. Chemical and structural characterization was performed using HPLC-DAD, SDS-PAGE, FT-IR, circular dichroism, and spectrophotometric assays. Antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power assays, while antimicrobial activity was evaluated against oral pathogens using diffusion and MIC methods. In vitro biological activity was investigated using MTT viability and scratch migration assays on human OSCC cell lines (SCC-9 and HSC-3). Results: The biocomposites preserved the structural integrity of type I collagen and incorporated polysaccharides and polyphenols from G. lucidum. The combined formulations showed enhanced antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared with collagen alone. In vitro assays demonstrated dose- and time-dependent reductions in OSCC cell viability and delayed cell migration, with effects comparable to those of G. lucidum extract. Conclusions: The G. lucidum–R. pulmo biocomposite exhibits favorable physicochemical properties and demonstrates antioxidant, antimicrobial, and in vitro antitumor activity. These findings support its potential as a multifunctional biomaterial for further investigation as an adjunct approach in oral cancer-related applications.