Although nitrofurans are supposed to be absent in foods, they are still used in veterinary medicine for the treatment of infections in animals not bred for consumption. That meant that there are still samples of honey contaminated with residues of nitrofurans because of bees treated with those pharmaceutical substances. Developing accessible methods to detect them is of high interest to food residue monitoring and regulation programs. We propose an immunochemical method as an alternative to detect four toxic metabolites of nitrofurans (1-aminoimidazolidine-2,4-dione, 3-amino-5-morpholinomethyl-2-oxazolidinone, 3-amino-2-oxazolidone and semicarbazide) in honey. The new method has been optimized and validate for the simultaneous determination of the four metabolites of the nitrofurans honey using biochip technology, and it has been used for the quantitative determination of the residues in 16 Romanian honey samples. The evaluated validation parameters included: linearity, sensitivity (IC50 �2.32 mg/kg), specificity and selectivity, precision (intermediate and reproducibility) and accuracy, decision limit (CCa between 0.37 and 1.05 mg/kg), detection capability (CCb between 0.42 and 1.14 mg/kg), and recovery coefficient (64�192%).

Even in modern times, the popularity level of medicinal plants and herbal medicines in therapy is still high. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of the population in developing countries uses these types of remedies. Even though herbal medicine products are usually perceived as low risk, their potential health risks should be carefully assessed. Several factors can cause the toxicity of herbal medicine products: plant components or metabolites with a toxic potential, adulteration, environmental pollutants (heavy metals, pesticides), or contamination of microorganisms (toxigenic fungi). Their correct evaluation is essential for the patient’s safety. The toxicity assessment of herbal medicine combines in vitro and in vivo methods, but in the past decades, several new techniques emerged besides conventional methods. The use of omics has become a valuable research tool for prediction and toxicity evaluation, while DNA sequencing can be used successfully to detect contaminants and adulteration. The use of invertebrate models (Danio renio or Galleria mellonella) became popular due to the ethical issues associated with vertebrate models. The aim of the present article is to provide an overview of the current trends and methods used to investigate the toxic potential of herbal medicinal products and the challenges in this research field.

A fast and robust RP-HPLC isocratic method was developed for determination of piroxicam in bulk materials and pharmaceutical formulations. Optimum separation of piroxicam and stress induced degradation a product was achieved using a SB-C18 Eclipse column (150x4.6; 5�m). The mobile phase was a mixture of water: acetonitrile (50:50) with a flow rate of 0.5mL/min. The UV detection was performed at 360nm. The method was validated in accordance with the current ICH guidelines in terms of linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, precision, accuracy, recovery and system suitability. The retention time for piroxicam was 2.55 min. The calibration graph was linear in the concentration range 5-90�g/mL. The assay proved to be sensitive, specific and reproducible. The method was applied for the determination of piroxicam in tablets.

A new Schiff base ligand, N-hydroxy-N�-salicylidene-urea was synthesized through the condensation of salicylaldehyde with hydroxyurea. The copper(II) complex of the Schiff base has been also obtained. Their structure has been proven using spectral methods such as UV-Vis, FT-IR, 1H-NMR and elemental analysis. The antimicrobial activity of the copper(II) complex was evaluated through comparison to the activity of the Schiff base on various bacterial strains. All tested compounds were very active against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

The study aimed at assessing the in vitro digestive bioavailability of heavy metals in the presence of plant extracts under simulated digestive system conditions. The complexing ability of aqueous herbal extracts of Crataegus sp., Tilia spp., Rosa canina, Vaccinium myrtillus, Geranium robertianum, Mentha piperita, Cynara cardunculus subsp. Scolymus, Plantago sp., and Coriandrum sativum was researched on Cu+2, Cd+2, Ni+2, Pb+2 and Hg+2 cations. The quantitative determination of the fraction of free metal left, available for absorption, was achieved by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) or potentiometry using an ion-selective electrode (ISE).

The study is based on new oral matrix tablets based on Kollidon®SR and chitosan, formulated in order to optimize the low oral bioavailability of amiodarone, a class III antiarrhythmic drug. Pharmacotechnical characterization included the analysis of flowability and compressibility properties (flow time, friction coefficient, angle of repose, Hausner ratio, Carr Index), and of pharmaco-chemical characteristics (mass and dose uniformity, thickness, diameter, mechanical strength, friability, degree of softening, in vitro release profile) of the tablets obtained using direct compression method. The results obtained have shown that both Kollidon®SR and chitosan may be used as matrix forming agents when combined with amiodarone. In vitro dissolution tests revealed that the nine formulations studied provided a prolonged release of amiodarone when compared to an industrial pharmaceutical product formulated as conventional release tablets.

Runner beans are an important source of carbohydrates, fibers, vitamins and minerals that play an important part in the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal tract physiology. The aim of the study was the identification of crop specificities of four varieties of Phaseolus coccineus L. homologated in the Great Britain: Lady Di, Desiree, Polestar and White Apollo, which are less cultivated in Romania, although during the study they proved a remarkable crop production. Another objective of the study was the determination of some chemical composition parameters of the pods harvested from protected areas, in order to highlight the particularities that could determine the expansion of their cultivation in our country.

A new spectrophotometric method for the quantitative determination of Fe (III) was established based on the complexation reaction with a new bis-Schiff base, 4,4`-methylenebis-salicylidene aniline, when a stable complex with an absorption maximum at 520 nm was obtained. The conditions of the complexation reaction were established and the method was validated according to ICH guidelines in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision of the method and the limits of detection and quantification were determined. The method was applied with good results for the quantitative determination of Fe (III) in pharmaceutical products.