Elena Mihaela Pahonțu

Area of scientific interest

• Research in the field of complex combinations with therapeutic applications

The main research scope is to obtain new biologically active substances, which should lead to enhanced therapeutic stratregies.

The research activity has been directed towards the synthesis, the characterisation and testing of complex combinations, at cell level, in order to establish their antimicrobial activity and/or antitumor activity.

Previous studies reffer to:

– the design and synthesis of the inhibitors of Schiff bases, semicarbazones and  thiosemicarbazones type;

-the design and synthesis of the complex combination of these ligands with pysiological metal ions (Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺ etc.), whose geometry can be influenced by the coordination capability of the ligands but also by the anion of the metal salt;

-the spectral analysis (¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, IR, UV-Vis, EPR, MS) and structural characterization (X- Ray diffraction) with a view to establishing the geometry of the metal center;

-the comparative study of the complexes Cu(II) in a solid state and in DMSO solution, through RPE spectrometry;

-testing of the antimicrobial activity upon different stems Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans;

-testing of the antiproliferative/cytotoxic activity in vitro of the synthesized compounds, on NCI-H1573 lung adenocarcinoma, SKBR-3 human breast, MCF-7 human breast, A375 human melanoma cancer cells and human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells;

-establishment of the correlation activity-structure and prognosis of the synthesis of compounds, active biologically with performing properties.

Relevant publications

1. Pahonţu E., Julea F., Chumakov Y., Petrenco P., Roşu T., Gulea A., (2017) Synthesis, characterization, crystal structure and antiproliferative activity studies of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) complexes with 4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolones derived compounds, Journal of Organometallic Chemistry DOI: 10.1016/j.jorganchem.2017.01.018. (IF =2.336).
2. Pahonțu , Paraschivescu C. , Ilieș DC., Poirier D. , Oprean C. , Păunescu V. , Gulea A. , Roșu T. Bratu O., (2016) Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Cu(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II) Complexes with 8-Ethyl-2-hydroxytricyclo(7.3.1.0^2,7)tridecan-13-one-thiosemicarbazone:Antimicrobial and in Vitro Antiproliferative Activity, Molecules 21(5): 674-692 (IF = 2.465).
3. Pahonțu E., Julea F., Roșu T., Purcărea VL., Chumakov Y., Petrenco P., Gulea A., (2015) Antibacterial, antifungal and in vitro antileukemia activity of complexes with thiosemicarbazones, Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 19(4): 865-878 (IF = 014).
4. Pahonțu E., Ilieș DC., Shova S., Paraschivescu C., Badea M., Gulea A., Roșu T., (2015) Synthesis, Characterization, Crystal Structure and Antimicrobial Activity of Copper(II) Complexes with the Schiff Base Derived from 2-Hydroxy-4-Methoxybenzaldehyde, Molecules 20: 5771-5792 (IF = 2.416).
5. Ilieș DC., Shova S., Rădulescu V., Pahonțu E., Roșu T., (2015) Synthesis, characterization, crystal structure and antioxidant activity of Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes with 2-formilpyridine N(4)-phenylthiosemicarbazone, Polyhedron 97: 157–166 (IF = 2.108).
6. Ilies DC., Pahontu E., Shova S., R. Georgescu, N. Stanica, R. Olaru, A. Gulea, T. Rosu; Synthesis, characterization, crystal structure and antimicrobial activity of copper(II) complexes with a thiosemicarbazone derived from 3-formyl-6-methylchromone; Polyhedron 81 (2014) 123–131, ISSN 0277-5387. (IF = 2.011).
7. Pahonțu E., Fala V., Gulea A., Poirier D., Tapcov V., Roșu T., (2013) Synthesis and characterization of some new Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) complexes with salicyliden thiosemicarbazones. Antibacterial, antifungal and in vitro antileukemia activity, Molecules 18(8): 8812-8836 (IF = 2.095).
8. Roşu T., Pahonţu E., Mezey, Ilieș DC., Georgescu R., Shova S., Gulea A., (2012) Synthesis, structural and spectral studies of Cu(II) and V(IV) complexes of a novel Schiff base derived from pyridoxal. Antimicrobial activity, Polyhedron 31: 352-360 (IF = 1.813).
9. Roșu T., Pahonțu E., Ilieș, Georgescu R., Mocanu M., Leabu M., Shova S., Gulea A., (2012) Synthesis and characterization of some new complexes of Cu(II), Ni(II) and V(IV) with Schiff base derived from indole-3-carboxaldehyde. Biological activity on prokaryotes and eukaryotes, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 53: 380-389 (IF = 3.499).
10. Roşu T., Pahonţu E., Maxim C., Georgescu R., Stănică N., Gulea A., (2011) Some new Cu (II) complexes containing an ON donor Schiff base: Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity, Polyhedron 30: 154-162 (IF = 2.057).
11. Roşu T., Negoiu M., Păsculescu S., Pahonţu E., Poirier D., Gulea A., (2010) Metal-based biologically active agents: Synthesis, characterization, antibacterial and antileukemia activity evaluation of Cu(II), V(IV) and Ni(II) complexes with antipyrine-derived compounds, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 45: 774-781 (IF = 3.193).
12. Roşu T., Pahonţu E., Maxim C., Georgescu R., Stănică N., Almăjan GL., Gulea A., (2010) Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity of some new complexes of Cu(II), Ni(II), V(IV), Mn(II) with Schiff base derived from 4-amino-2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-3-pyrazolin-5-one, Polyhedron 29: 757-766 (IF = 2.033).
13. Roşu T., Pahonţu E., Păsculescu S., Georgescu R., Stănică N., Curaj A., Popescu A., Leabu M., (2010) Synthesis and characterization of novel Cu(II) and Pd(II) complexes with 2-hydroxy-8-R-tricyclo [7.3.1.0.2,7]tridecane-13-one thiosemicarbazone. Study on biological activity, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 45: 1627-1634 (IF = 3.193).

Affiliation

UMF “Carol Davila” Bucharest, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department I-Fundamental Science, Discipline of General and Inorganic Chemistry