Anton-Liviu Petrica

The ongoing evolution of immersive technologies has rocketed, placing the metaverse as a new groundbreaking tool in the tourism domain. This study gives a bibliometric analysis onto the literature dedicated to metaverse tourism to identify publication patterns, influential authors, dominant journals, citation trends, and the very foundations of the field. A total of 270 papers published between 2015 and 2025 in English were selected from the Scopus database. Quantitative analysis and visualization were performed using Excel and VOSviewer. The results uncover that more than 90% of publications were published after 2023. This shows that tourism using metaverse is a new research topic. Dominant journals were International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Information Technology and Tourism, and Tourism Review, whereas the most cited papers were written by Buhalis, Gursoy, Koohang, and others. The keyword co-occurrence analysis disclosed six dominant thematic clusters. Those are: tourism applications, technologies (VR, AR, XR, etc), user experience and digital environments, acceptability and adoption, sustainability and tourism development. These clusters exhibit the multidisciplinary field of tourism using metaverse. Research shows that tourism experiences and destination promotion practices have been altered substantially by the metaverse. In order to enhance the analysis, the further studies should treat subjects like: the regulation of virtual spaces, ethics, and sustainability.

This study explores an innovative delivery strategy for the management of skin conditions: lipid nanosystems incorporated into a gel matrix. Echinacea purpurea extract, known for its antibacterial, antioxidant, and wound-healing properties, was encapsulated into lipid-based nanosystems and subsequently incorporated into Carbopol-based gel. The extract, rich in chicoric and caftaric acids, exhibited strong antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 56.9 µg/mL). The resulting nanosystems showed nanometric size (about 200 nm), high entrapment efficiency (63.10–75.15%), and excellent short-term stability. Superior biocompatibility of the nanosystems, compared to the free extract, was demonstrated using an MTS assay on L-929 fibroblasts. Moreover, the cytoprotective potential of the lipid carriers was evident, as pre-treatment significantly increased cell viability under H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress. These findings suggest that lipid-based encapsulation enhances the therapeutic profile of E. purpurea. The optimal lipid formulation was incorporated into a Carbopol-based gel, which demonstrated an appropriate pH (5.15 ± 0.75), favorable textural properties, sustained polyphenol release, and overall good stability. This research highlights the potential of plant-derived bioactives in the development of dermatocosmetic products, aligning with current trends in eco-conscious and sustainable skincare.

This study explores an innovative delivery strategy for the management of skin conditions: lipid nanosystems incorporated into a gel matrix. Echinacea purpurea extract, known for its antibacterial, antioxidant, and wound-healing properties, was encapsulated into lipid-based nanosystems and subsequently incorporated into a Carbopol-based gel. The extract, rich in chicoric and caftaric acids, exhibited strong antioxidant activity (IC50 = 56.89 µg/mL). The resulting nanosystems showed nanometric size (about 200 nm), high entrapment efficiency (63.10% –75.15%), and excellent short-term stability. Superior biocompatibility of the nanosystems, compared to the free extract, was demonstrated using an MTS assay on L-929 fibroblasts. Moreover, the cytoprotective potential of the lipid carriers was evident, as pre-treatment significantly increased cell viability under H2O2-induced oxidative stress. These findings suggest that lipid-based encapsulation enhances the therapeutic profile of Echinacea purpurea. The optimal lipid formulation was incorporated into a Carbopol-based gel, which demonstrated an appropriate pH (5.15 ± 0.75), favorable textural properties, sustained polyphenol release, and overall good stability. This research highlights the potential of plant-derived bioactives in the development of dermatocosmetic products, aligning with current trends in eco-conscious and sustainable skincare.