Rev. Med. Chir. Soc. Med. Nat., Iai 2013 vol. 117, no.
LAUDATIO
UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR DOCTOR EMANOIL GRIGORESCU AT 90 YEARS
Prof. Dr. Emanoil
Grigorescu is an out-
standing personality
with remarkable scien-
tific achievements in
the field of medicinal
plants, one of the
foremost exponents of
the Romanian School
of Pharmacognosy.
Prof. Dr. Emanoil Grigorescu was born
on the 10th of May 1923 in Oltenita (Ilfov
county). He has graduated from the Faculty
of Pharmacy, Institute of Medicine and
Pharmacy in Bucharest in 1948. Addition-
ally, he was a student of the Faculty of
Sciences, Physical Chemistry section
which he graduated in 1947 (without state
examination). In 1964 Prof. Dr. Emanoil
Grigorescu defended his Ph.D. thesis Con-
tributions to the pharmacognostic and
phytochemical study of indigenous Hip-
popha rhamnoides L., initially supervised
by Prof. Dr. Elemr Kopp and then by Prof.
Dr. Teodor Goina.
Prof. Dr. Emanoil Grigorescu started his
academic didactic career after his universi-
ty graduation. Between 1948-1953 he was
trainer and then assistant in the Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy,
Institute of Medicine and Pharmacy in
Bucharest. In October 1953 he started his
work as an assistant in the Department of
Pharmacognosy. Ten years later, in 1963,
he became lecturer in the same department.
Meanwhile, he served as scientific secre-
tary (July 1961-February 1963) and deputy
scientific director (February-October 1963)
in the Institute for State Control of Drugs
and Pharmaceutical Research. In October
1963, lecturer Emanoil Grigorescu was
appointed substitute associate professor in
the Department of Pharmacognosy of the
Institute of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iasi.
The most prolific years in his didactic and
research career were the years spent in this
department. In 1965 he became associate
professor and three years later, professor
and Ph.D. advisor. Between 1993-1997 he
was consulting professor. He was also in-
volved in administrative activities being
vice dean (February-October 1965) and
dean (October 1965-February 1975) of the
Faculty of Pharmacy.
Prof. Dr. Emanoil Grigorescu had a
fruitful scientific activity focused on the
valorization of medicinal plants used in
traditional medicine, scientific justification
of traditional uses of medicinal plants and
identification of new medicinal plants with
potential therapeutic uses. He studied with
passion and tenacity not only indigenous
medicinal plants, but also plants used in the
traditional medicine in several African and
Asian countries. The list of studied species
is so long that it covers almost all letters in
the alphabet starting with Aesculus hippo-
castanum and ending with Withania som-
nifera. Prof. Dr. Emanoil Grigorescu was
interested not only in the isolation and
chemical characterization of phytochemi-
cals from different plants, but also in the
possibility of using phytochemicals in the
semi/synthesis of new drugs. His investiga-
tions have led to the isolation and charac-
terization of isorhamnetin, malvidin, narco-
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 University Professor Doctor Emanoil Grigorescu at 90 years
tine, rheadine, galanthamine, reserpine,
berberine, ursolic and oleanolic acids, beta-
sitosterol, usnic acid and different polysac-
charides. He intensively collaborated with
colleagues from the chemistry departments
to develop new drugs from phytochemicals.
This collaboration led to the development
of several new semisynthetic derivatives
with higher bioavailability such as rutin-
cysteine, rutin- aminocaproic acid, berber-
ine- aminocaproic acid and podophyllo-
toxin-tryptophan complexes. In addition to
phytochemistry, Prof. Dr. Emanoil Grigo-
rescu approached other areas of research.
He studied the biosynthesis of certain phy-
tochemicals (antraquinones, coumarins,
anthocyanidins, carotenoids, thioglyco-
sides, lisergic alkaloids) using in vitro
tissue cultures. He developed phytobiologi-
cal methods as a preliminary step for tox-
icity evaluation before animal testing. His
innovative research is materialized in more
than 200 published works, 12 original
drugs in microproduction (Rutin-S,
Stomadex, Septazulen, Hipotens, Cere-
brodil, Bilogal, Lactoflux), 7 original drugs
in industrial production (Variterp, Rutin-S,
Perasin, Plavobil, Plavocorona) and 56
patents. He was awarded three times by the
Romanian Ministry of Education and
Teaching (1963, 1968, 1971). In 1991 he
was awarded the Title of Elite Inventor
class IV. The research activity of Prof. Dr.
Emanoil Grigorescu is undoubtedly a refer-
ence point for the young researchers in the
fields of pharmacognosy, phytochemistry,
phytotherapy and plant biology.
Prof. Dr. Emanoil Grigorescu super-
vised the activity of 14 Romanian and 5
foreign Ph.D. students. He has authored
and coauthored several books in the field of
medicinal plants: Din ierburi s-au nscut
medicamentele (Drugs derived from plants,
Ed. Albatros, Bucharest, 1984); Burundi:
oameni, fapte, locuri (Burundi: people,
deeds, places, Ed. Albatros, Bucharest,
1984); Index fitoterapeutic (Phyto-
therapeutic index) in collaboration with
Prof. Dr. Ursula Stnescu and Prof. dr. Ioan
Ciulei (Ed. Medical, Bucharest, 1986);
Plante medicinale, fitochimie i fitoterapie
(Medicinal plants, phyto-chemistry and
phytotherapy) in collaboration with Prof.
dr. Ioan Ciulei and Prof. Dr. Ursula Stnes-
cu (Ed. Medical, Bucharest, 1993); De la
etnomedicin la fitoterapie tezaurul
verde al medicinei (From ethnomedicine to
phytotherapy the green treasure of medi-
cine) in collaboration with Pharm. Dr. Fe-
lix Silva (Ed. Spiru Haret, 1997); Strmoii
plantelor medicinale legende pierdute
(The ancestors of medicinal plants lost
legends, Ed. Cantes, 1998); Index fitotera-
peutic (Phyto-therapeutic index) in collab-
oration with Prof. dr. Mihai Ioan Lazr,
Prof. dr. Ursula Stnescu, Prof. dr. Ioan
Ciulei (Ed. Cantes, 2001). Plante medici-
nale, fitochimie i fitoterapie has received
the Iuliu Hatieganu Award of the Romani-
an Academy in 1993.
It is noteworthy that in 1979 Prof. Dr.
Emanoil Grigorescu became United Na-
tions Organisation (UNO) expert for me-
dicinal plants. As UNO expert he took part
in the organisation of three UNIDO (United
Nations Industrial Development Organiza-
tion) international courses partly held in the
Department of Pharmacognosy in Iasi. He
participated in two UNIDO missions in
Burundi (1979) and Rwanda (1984). Later,
scientists from Burundi, Rwanda and Yu-
goslavia were trained in the Department of
Pharmacognosy under the supervision of
Prof. Dr. Emanoil Grigorescu.
Prof. Dr. Emanoil Grigorescu was presi-
dent of Section of Pharmacy of the Society
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 Anca Miron
of Physicians and Naturalists, Iasi (1968-
1975), Commission of Medicinal Plants in
the Association of Scientists Iasi (since
1990) and Romanian Society of Phytothera-
py (since 1993). He was member (1976-
1990) and then vicepresident (since 1990) of
the Commission of Medicinal Plants of the
Romanian Academy and member in several
professional and scientific commissions
(Medicinal Plants Commission for Elabora-
tion of the Romanian Pharmacopoeia, Drug
and Pharmacovigilance Commission, Re-
580
search Commission for the Valorization of
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Medicinal
Plants Commission of the International
Federation of Pharmacy). In recognition of
his outstanding merits, in 1991 Prof. Dr.
Emanoil Grigorescu became member of the
Academy of Medical Sciences.
Prof. Dr. Emanoil Grigorescu built his
impressive didactic and scientific career on
extensive work, dedication and passion. At
his 90th anniversary we wish him a long life
in good health.
Prof. Dr. Anca Miron
Department of Pharmacognosy
Faculty of Pharmacy,
University of Medicine and Pharmacy
"Grigore T. Popa" - Iasi