Liliana Cepoi

Technical University of Moldova, Institute of Microbiology and BiotechnologyChisinau, Moldova

Nanoparticles, due to their extensive production and application, can have significant consequences for the environment, including soil and plant pollution. Therefore, it is very important to assess how nanoparticles will affect plants depending on the exposure pathways. The effect of gold nanoparticles in a concentration range of 1–100 mg/L on Men...

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of 10 and 20 nm nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the growth and biochemical composition of microalga Porphyridium purpureum CNMN-AR-02 in two media which differ by the total amount of mineral salts (MM1 with 33.02 g/L and MM2 with 21.65 g/L). Spectrophotometric methods were used to estimate the amount...

Rare-earth elements are released into the aquatic environment as a result of their extensive use in industry and agriculture, and they can be harmful for living organisms. The effects of holmium(III), erbium(III), and gadolinium(III) when added to a growth medium in concentrations ranging from 10 to 30 mg/L on the accumulation ability and biochemic...

The chapter provides a comprehensive examination of the concept of secondary metabolites, encompassing discussions on various classification systems for these compounds, and an assessment of the available data management tools related to secondary metabolites. The main and most studied toxic and nontoxic secondary metabolites produced by cyanobacte...

The influence of unmodified engineered AuNPs versus biofunctionalized by cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis (spirulina) on rats was studied. Au NPs were administered per os in a quantity of 1 µgAu/day per animal for 28 days, followed by a clearance period of the same duration. The accumulation of nanoparticles in different organs, the change in h...

The in vitro study of the influence of the zinc oxide nanoparticles biofunctionalized by sulfated polysaccharides compared with sulfated polysaccharides used the peripheral blood lymphocytes collected form 65 patients, new cases with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The patients were distributed in the main study group, which included 34 cases with mul...

Nanoparticles are utilized in the cultivation media of cyanobacteria and microalgae to enhance productivity and the accumulation of biologically active compounds. This study focused on investigating the impact of Ni, Mo, and Co nanoparticles stabilized with polyethylene glycol, which was added to the cultivation medium of the cyanobacterium Athrosp...

Introduction: Our research raises the question of how realistic and safe it is to use gold and silver nanoparticles in biotechnologies to grow microalgae, which will later be used to obtain valuable products. To this purpose, it was necessary to assess the influence of 10 and 20 nm Au and Ag nanoparticles stabilized in citrate on the growth of micr...

Monografia cu denumirea Factorii tehnologici și calitatea biomasei de spirulină sistematizează rezultatele cercetării impactului unor factori tehnologici asupra calității biomasei cianobacteriei Arthrospira platensis (spirulina), cultivată în condiții de laborator și de producere industrială. În calitate de factori tehnologici au fost analizate con...

Ghidul propus sistematizează metodele de analiză specifice sau adaptate, aplicate în ficobiotehnologie în scopul determinării productivității şi conținutului de biomasă, componenței biochimice a cianobacteriilor și microalgelor de interes biotehnologic (cianobacteriile Arthrospira platensis (spirulina), Nostoc linckia; microalgele Dunaliella salina...

Praseodymium, the sixth-most abundant rare-earth element, is widely used in the aircraft industry for the elaboration of refractory substances, coloring materials, lighting equipment, and fiber optical cables. Living and non-living Arthrospira platensis biomass was applied for Pr(III) removal from aqueous solutions. In bioaccumulation experiments,...

The application of metal nanoparticles in industry and medicine results in their release into the environment, which can have a negative impact on human health. The effects of gold (AuNPs) and copper (CuNPs) nanoparticles at the concentration range of 1–200 mg/L on parsley (Petroselinum crispum) under conditions of root exposure and their transloca...

The biosorption and bioaccumulation of gadolinium by Arthospira platensis in batch experiments was examined. In biosorption experiments, the influence of pH, gadolinium concentration, time of contact and temperature on Arthospira platensis sorption capacity was investigated. The maximum biosorption capacity of 101 mg/g was attained at a pH of 3.0 a...

Selenium nanoparticles are attracting the attention of researchers due to their multiple applications, including medicine. The biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles has become particularly important due to the environmentally friendly character of the process and special properties of the obtained particles. The possibility of performing the biosy...

The development of nanomaterials for various purposes has led to the diversification of their fields of application but has also raised questions regarding the environmental safety of releasing NPs into the environment. In the biotechnology of microalgae and cyanobacteria, NPs can serve as biotechnological tools to control specific processes. In th...

Rhenium is a scarce and highly important metal for industry and technology. In the present study, the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) was used to remove rhenium and related elements (Mo and Cu) from mono- and polymetallic synthetic effluents. Metal ions in different concentrations were added to the culture medium on the first, thir...

Erbium belongs to rare earth elements critical for industry, especially nuclear technology. Cyanobacteria Arthospira platensis was used for Er(III) removal from wastewater by applying biosorption and bioaccumulation processes. The influence of pH, Er(III) concentration, contact time and temperature on the biosorption capacity of Arthospira platensi...

Yttrium is an element of critical importance for industry and technology. Cyanobacteria Arthrospira platensis was employed for Y(III) recovery from contaminated wastewater through biosorption and bioaccumulation processes. The effect of pH of a solution, contact time, temperature, and initial Y(III) concentration on the adsorption behaviour of Arth...

Bioinspired hybrid nanofibers on the basis of polystyrene and Spirulina biomass: pristine and modified were produced. These nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and thermogravimetric analysis. The hybrid nanofibers have been utilized as adsorbents for the removal of copper and manganese ions fro...

Anthropogenic activity is the main factor contributing to soil pollution with various toxic metals, including Cr(VI), which dictates the need for decontamination. Often, the traditionally used remediation methods (soil removal, stabilization/solidification, physicochemical extraction, and soil washing) are not sufficiently efficient. Among gentle s...

The cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis was used to study the process of silver biosorption. Effects of various parameters such as contact time, dosage of biosorbent, initial pH, temperature, and initial concentration of Ag(I) were investigated for a batch adsorption system. The optimal biosorption conditions were determined as pH 5.0,...

Europium recovery from wastewater is determined by its high significance for industry and toxicity for living organisms. The capacity of cyanobacteria Arthospira platensis (Spirulina) to remove Eu(III) through biosorption and bioaccumulation was evaluated. In biosorption experiments, the effects of four variables pH, metal concentration, time, and...

The article presents the results regarding some peculiarities of the response of microalga Porphyridium cruentum to the action of citrate-stabilized silver and gold nanoparticles with sizes of 10 nm and 20 nm. It has been established that the tested nanoparticles added to the cultivation medium of microalga P. cruentum at the beginning of lag phase...

Cyanobacteria-mediated wastewater remediation is an economical, efficient, and eco-friendly technology. The present work deals with the bioaccumulation performance of Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) grown for four cycles in a medium containing nickel mono- and polymetallic synthetic effluents. The metal uptake by spirulina biomass was evaluated u...

For the first time, microalga Dunaliella salina was successfully applied for synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The process of nanoparticles production was monitored using UV–Vis spectroscopy which exhibited surface plasmon resonance band at 432 nm. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of spherical silver nanoparticles having diamete...

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the productivity of red microalga Porphyridium cruentum and the content of some biologically active compounds of technological interest in biomass. We used citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with a diameter of 5 nm at concentrations from 0.5 to 1.5 nM and...

Soil and water pollution is a major problem that has a negative impact on ecosystems and human health in particular. In the bioremediation processes, the application of photosynthetic microorganisms, including cyanobacteria, is a direction of action addressed with increasing frequency in the context of further development and improvement of environ...

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most actively used nanomaterials. Therefore, their release into the environment becomes inevitable. Consequently, studies regarding the harmful effects of AgNPs towards organisms are very common. In the process of investigating the effects of silver nanoparticles on living cells, other effects besides the...

Anthropogenic activity is the main factor contributing to soil pollution with various toxic metals, including Cr(VI), which dictates the need for decontamination. Often, the traditionally used remediation methods (soil removal, stabilization/solidification, physicochemical extraction, and soil washing) are not sufficiently efficient. Among gentle s...

The effect of unmodified and functionalized Spirulina platensis biomass silver nanoparticles on rats during prolonged oral administration was assessed. Silver nanoparticles were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy, while their uptake by the biomass was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis....

The current study aimed to investigate the influence of growth phase on the response of cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis to the presence of Au and Ag nanoparticles stabilized with polyethylene glycol in the culture medium. Nanoparticles of gold and silver in the applied concentrations altered the accumulation of spirulina biomass, regardless of...

Cyanobacteria Spirulina platensis due to its high biosorption and bioaccumulation capacity toward metal ions can be considered as an excellent candidate for environmental bioremediation. The effect of Zn and in different combinations on the accumulation capacity of Spirulina platensis biomass and its biochemical composition was investigated. Four Z...

For the first time, the microalga Porphyridium cruentum was tested for its ability to produce silver nanoparticles. To characterize formed silver nanoparticles UV–vis Spectrometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays and X-ray diffraction were used. It was shown that after biomass exposure to silver nitrate solution t...

The chapter discusses the main aspects related to the bioremediation of heavy metals ions contaminated soil. The chapter is divided into four sections. The first section is dedicated to the influence of the presence of heavy metals in the soil on the biota system, its sources, limits, and actual levels. The description of natural bioremediation by...

The process of production of lithium-enriched Arthrospira platensis biomass in bioaccumulation and biosorption processes was studied. Lithium, Na and Mg content in biomass was determined using the Proton Induced Gamma Emission technique. In bioaccumulation experiments, lithium in concentrations range of 5-500 mg/L was added in the Arthrospira plate...

Metal accumulation by Spirulina platensis from synthetic effluents with the following chemical composition: Cr/Fe, Cr/Fe/Ni, Cr/Fe/Ni/Zn, and Cr/Fe/Ni/Zn/Cu during repeated cultivation cycle was investigated. Metal ions in different concentrations were added to the culture medium at the exponential and stationary phases of biomass growth and their...

Silver and gold nanoparticles are promising tools for medical and industrial applications; therefore, their ecotoxicity should be carefully examined. There are many publications that discuss their effects at high concentrations on various organisms, while the effects of low doses have not been sufficiently investigated. In this paper, the effects o...

The growth of Arthrospira platensis and physiological changes in biomass under the effects of six rare earth elements Dy, Sm, Tb, La, Nd and Yb were evaluated. Element were tested by three concentrations 10, 20 and 30 mg/L. According to neutron activation analysis data Arthrospira platensis’s accumulation capacity toward studied elements changed in...

Bioinspired hybrid nanofibers on the basis of polystyrene and Spirulina biomass—pristine and modified—were produced. These nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The hybrid nanofibers have been utilized as adsorbents for the removal of copper and mangan...

Abstract Introduction. As a result of increased production and spread in the environment, nanoparticles can pose a significant risk to public health. To date, the toxicity data of nanoparticles collected, using traditional models and methods, are contradictory and inconsistent. Highlighting the significant methods and markers of nanoparticle toxici...

The metal bioaccumulation as well as biochemical changes in cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis biomass at its growth in multicomponent copper containing synthetic effluents during repeated cultivation cycle was investigated. It was demonstrated high capacity of metal accumulation by spirulina biomass from multicomponent systems, containing copper i...

Spirulina platensis is an intensely studied biological object due to its valuable biotechnological qualities. Spirulina biomass is used for direct human and animal consumption as well as raw material for production of drugs and food supplements. Therefore, its use for environment remediation is unjustified. Instead, this cyanobacteria is a very sui...

In recent times, fungi are becoming more and more active as causal agents of human infections, which is primarily determined by the growing number of people with severe immunosuppression. Thus, the problems of elucidating the mechanisms of action of antifungal preparations, highlighting ways to obtain resistance to their action and research strateg...

In order to assess ability of Spirulina platensis to recover silver and gold ions from the environment the bioaccumulation of silver and gold ions and their effect on growth, proteins and carbohydrates content of Spirulina platensis biomass was studied. Silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ) in concentration range 0.01-1 mg/dm ³ and tetrachloroaurate Na[AuCl 4 ]...

New fluorine-containing cobalt(III) dioximates [Co(DmgH)2(Thio)2]2F[PF6] (I) and [Co(DmgH)2(Sam)2]2[TiF6] · 4H2O (II) (DmgH = dimethylglyoxime monoanion, Thio = thiourea, Sam = sulfanilamide) were obtained. The structure of I was determined by X-ray diffraction (CIF file CCDC no. 1852216). The crystals are cubic, space group Pn\(\bar {3}\)n. The oc...

This present chapter emphasizes the data on environmental and technological stresses in cyanobacteria (namely Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) and Nostoc linckia). The factors investigated were: light, temperature, salinity, and chemical stimulants. Common elements have been established for cyanobacterial response to the stress caused by various f...

The biosorption of Cr(III)-Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions on dry Spirulina platensis biomass was tested under laboratory conditions as a function of pH, initial metal ion concentration, biomass dosage, time and temperature. Optimum adsorption pH values of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were determined as 3.0 and 2.0, respectively. The Langmuir adsorption isothe...

The time-dependent uptake of metal ions (Al, Cr, Fe, Zn, Sr, and Ba) by cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis from the complex industrial effluents of an engineering company (electroplating units of the Tactical Missiles Corporation, Dubna, Russia) was investigated. The preference of spirulina biomass for metal ions was observed as follows: Ba >Fe >...

The uptake of Fe(III) by living cells of unicellular green algae Dunaliella salina ions was investigated. The effects of operational conditions such as contact time, biomass concentration, initial pH and initial Fe(III) concentration on iron uptake were studied. The time profile of the Fe(III) uptake by living cells of D. salina showed a time lag i...

In this chapter we have aimed to demonstrate that Spirulina biomass is a suitable raw material for the manufacture of preparations containing trace elements. The natural ability of spirulina cells to accumulate metals in the process of growth is an opportunity to obtain biomass enriched with certain trace elements. We showed here examples of biomas...

The cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis, previously called spirulina, is a well-studied biological entity with a wide range of possible physiological, biochemical, genetical, biotechnological and ecological uses. This study assessed the efficiency of zinc, iron, copper, cobalt and chromium ions biosorption by Arthrospira platensis biomass in singl...

The cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis was used to study the process of silver biosorption. Effects of various parameters such as contact time, dosage of biosorbent, initial pH, temperature, and initial concentration of Ag(I) were investigated for a batch adsorption system. The optimal biosorption conditions were determined as pH 5.0,...

The cyanobacterium Nostoc linckia was used to study the biotechnology of selenium nanoparticles synthesis for the first time. The experimental conditions of the nanoparticle production by the studied cyanobacteria in aqueous cobalt selenite solutions were examined. Neutron activation analysis allowed characterization of the dynamics of accumulation...

Spirulina platensis biomass is widely applied for different technological purposes. The process of lanthanum, chromium, uranium and vanadium accumulation and biosorption by Spirulina platensis biomass from single- and multi-component systems was studied. The influence of multi-component system on the spirulina biomass growth was less pronounced in...

The process of selenium uptake by biomass of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis was investigated by neutron activation analysis at different selenium concentrations in solution and at different contact times. Experimental data showed good fit with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model, with a regression coefficient value of 0.9...

This book reflects the use of cyanobacteria for the bioremediation of wastewater through different mechanisms and pathways of transformation and transfer of hazardous substances from one medium to another. The application of microorganisms for bioremediation is determined by their ubiquity, small size, high rate of reproduction and large surface-to...

This chapter highlights the pros of biological purification methods, such as the possibility to be carried out in situ at the contaminated site, cost efficiency, the ability to regenerate the sorbent, as well as an overall environment friendly character. Biosorption and bioaccumulation processes rely on natural metabolic processes when toxic ions a...

This chapter presents data pertaining to the biological accumulation of metals in the biomass of specific cyanobacteria. The results are divided between a discussion of the optimal conditions for the maximum accumulation of metals by the cyanobacteria cells, and analysis of the mechanisms of biological absorption and accumulation. Besides metal bio...

This chapter consists of two sections that discuss the possibility of using cyanobacteria to eliminate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and to purify domestic wastewater. In the first section the biological purification ability of the cyanophytes Synechocystis salina and Phormidium foveolarum by cultivating them on the media with the addition o...

The development of environmentally friendly methods of nanoparticles synthesis of different size and shape is one of the pressing challenges in current nanotechnology. Among microorganisms, cyanobacteria are of particular interest in nanoparticle production. Examples of gold, silver, platinum nanoparticles synthesis by cyanobacteria strains Plecton...

Human activities in recent decades have brought many advantages to modern civilization, but they also caused the accumulation of various pollutants in the environment. The situation facing the current generation of human beings can be defined as “stress of waste excess”, mainly due to the technological progress and industrial production. It took de...

The time-dependent biosorption capacity of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis was studied in regards to nickel and chromium removal from the industrial effluents of electroplating units. The elemental content of the S. platensis biomass and the metal concentrations of industrial effluents were traced through two analytical techniques, neutron a...

The article deals with iron(III) coordination compounds with Schiff bases as ligands and their impact on phycobiliprotein accumulation by cyanobacteriumNostoc linckia. Stimulatory effect depends on the applied dose and in case of three compounds, the concentration 20 mg/L was determined as one with moderate intensity. Lower concentrations resulted...

The article deals with iron(III) coordination compounds with Schiff bases as ligands and their impact on phycobiliprotein accumulation by cyanobacteriumNostoc linckia. Stimulatory effect depends on the applied dose and in case of three compounds, the concentration 20 mg/L was determined as one with moderate intensity. Lower concentrations resulted...

The time-dependent biosorption capacity of microalga Spirulina platensis for zinc removal from wastewater of the machinery company “Moldagrotehnica” was studied. The maximal sorption of zinc was achieved after 30 min of reaction. Zinc concentration in wastewater was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry and in dry biomass using neutron activ...

The methods of synthesis of silver (Ag) nanoparticles by the cyanobacteria Spirulina platensis and Nostoc linckia were studied. A complex of biochemical, spectral, and analytical methods was used to characterize biomass and to assess changes in the main components of biomass (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and phycobilin) during nanoparticle form...

The goal of this work was to determine the changes that occurred in the anti-oxidant status of microalga Haematococcus pluvialis during its life cycle in closed system. The method for determination of antiradicalic activity has been selected concerning its possible use for complex preparations: the ABTS˙ + radical cation scavenging assay (ABTS). Th...

The present study relates to the use of cyanobacterium Nostoc linkia for removal of chromium and nickel from wastewater of galvanic industry. To determine concentrations of Cr and Ni in wastewater samples atomic absorption spectrometry was used. The samples of dried nostoc biomass after exposure to wastewater were subject to nondestructive instrume...

The present study relates to the use of cyanobacterium Nostoc linkia for removal of chromium and nickel from wastewater of galvanic industry. To determine concentrations of Cr and Ni in wastewater samples atomic absorption spectrometry was used. The samples of dried nostoc biomass after exposure to wastewater were subject to nondestructive instrume...

Zinc is an important metal for humans and the environment. Its intensive application in industry has led to water and soil contamination. A lot of microorganisms both unicellular and multicellular can be applied for removal of metals from the environment. The process of zinc adsorption by cyanobacteria Spirulina platensis biomass was investigated....

Zinc is an important metal for humans and the environment. Its intensive application in industry has led to water and soil contamination. A lot of microorganisms both unicellular and multicellular can be applied for removal of metals from the environment. The process of zinc adsorption by cyanobacteria Spirulina platensis biomass was investigated....

CdSe nanoparticles were synthesized using colloidal methods. In order to obtain hydric colloidal solution, the surface of the quantum dots has been modified with thioglycerol. The presence of thioglycerol on the CdSe quantum dots was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. The hydric solution of CdSe was used in biological tests. The red algae Porphyri...

CdSe nanoparticles were synthesized using colloidal methods. In order to obtain hydric colloidal solution, the surface of the quantum dots has been modified with thioglycerol. The presence of thioglycerol on the CdSe quantum dots was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. The hydric solution of CdSe was used in biological tests. The red algae Porphyri...

This paper deals with a study of the biosorption of UO22+ ions on two green algae: Chlorella vulgaris and Dunaliella salina. By investigating the retention degree versus contact time from Langmuir and Freundlich biosorption isotherms, kinetic investigations and FTIR spectra it was found that the biosorption process was greater for Chlorella vulgari...

In this paper was studied the uranyl ions biosorption on three types of alga: Nostok linckia, Porphyridium cruentum and Spirulina platensis. These ions were supplied either from a pure solution of uranyl nitrate, or after leaching process of uranium ore, or from the sludge resulting in the output of pure UO(2) technology. It was investigated the re...

The goal of this work is to determine the level of antioxidative activity of various ethanol extracts from Spirulina platensis and Nostoc linckia biomass, and also to demonstrate the possibility to select suitable methods for evaluation of these characteristics. The methods for determination of antioxidative activity were selected concerning their...

The methods of radiochemistry, cyclic voltammetry and electron scanning microscopy employed in experiments with Spirulina platensis (Nordst.) Geitl. CALU-835 to determine chei and biochemical mechanisms of biological purification of waters containing U(VI). It has established that under the absence of ionic competition, the S. platensis culture is...

Coordination compounds of iron (III) were studied for their influence on productivity and biochemical composition of the red alga Porphyridium cruentum Nag. All studied compounds were found to substantially increase the level of phycobilinogenesis in P. cruentum.