The presence of mycotoxins and other toxic metabolites in hops (Humulus lupulus L.) was assessed for the first time. In total, 62 hop samples were sampled in craft breweries, and analyzed by a ...multi-toxin LS-MS/MS method. The study collected samples from craft breweries in all of the Croatian counties and statistically compared the results. Based on previous reports on Alternaria spp. and Fusarium spp. contamination of hops, the study confirmed the contamination of hops with these toxins. Alternaria toxins, particularly tenuazonic acid, were found in all tested samples, while Fusarium toxins, including deoxynivalenol, were present in 98% of samples. However, no Aspergillus or Penicillium metabolites were detected, indicating proper storage conditions. In addition to the Alternaria and Fusarium toxins, abscisic acid, a drought stress indicator in hops, was also detected, as well as several unspecific metabolites. The findings suggest the need for monitoring, risk assessment, and potential regulation of Alternaria and Fusarium toxins in hops to ensure the safety of hop usage in the brewing and pharmaceutical industries. Also, four local wild varieties were tested, with similar results to the commercial varieties for toxin contamination, but the statistically significant regional differences in toxin occurrence highlight the importance and need for targeted monitoring.
Nutritional status is a series of related parameters collected using different available methods. In order to determine the nutritional status of elderly populations and ensure nutritional support ...based on an individual approach, the implementation of the increasingly used foodomics approach is available; this approach plays a key role in personalized diets and in the optimization of diets for a population group, such as an elderly population. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) method and the Nottingham Screening Tool (NST) form were used on 50 users in a home for the elderly in northwest Croatia. A loss of body mass (BM) was statistically significantly higher for those who had the following: decreased food intake in the last week and users who had complete and partial feeding autonomy. Additionally, the obtained data on drug intake, fluid, individual nutrients, and physical activity are based on an individual approach. The available documentation provides insight into nutritional values and food preparation in an attempt to satisfy a holistic approach in the evaluation of exposure while trying to achieve as many elements of foodomics as possible.
Total flavonoid and total phenolic content were studied in acacia and multifloral honey for 12 months in 6-month intervals. DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant ...power) methods were used to determine total antioxidant activity in honey samples during the same period of time. Samples were stored in transparent glass containers at room temperature, on shelves exposed to natural light during daytime and in the dark during nighttime. Two types of honey from four different regions in Varazdin county, Croatia, were investigated: monofloral--acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and multifloral. Of the total of 40 samples, there were 20 of each type of honey (5 from each region). The goal of this study is primarily to demonstrate the changes in the antioxidant activity of the two investigated types of honey during one year of storage, and not to make comparisons between them. According to the obtained data, the rate of decrease in the content of total flavonoids and phenolics was determined and changes in the antioxidant activity in honey samples were measured. After one year of storage, total phenolic content decreased by 91.8 % in acacia honey, and by 88.6 % in multifloral honey. Total flavonoid content also decreased in both types of honey, by 45.6 % in acacia honey and by 43.8 % in multifloral honey. During the same period, an increase from 12.20 to 16.73 mg/mL (i.e. by 37.1 %) was recorded in the IC50 values in multifloral honey, while in acacia honey this increase was from 44.64 to 407.01 mg/mL (i.e. by 811.7 %). Decrease in the antioxidant activity measured by FRAP method was also bigger in acacia honey than in multifloral honey (by 428.0 and 72.5 %, respectively), which corresponds well with the results obtained by DPPH method. Simple correlations were made to determine how each of the investigated parameters affects the others. The analysis of variance was used in order to determine the influence of the region, honey type and storage time on different parameters of antioxidant activity as well as on the total phenolic and total flavonoid content in honey samples. Key words: antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds, honey, storage
The study investigates exposure to stress by respondents working in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and differences in using three instruments to measure stress. The survey was conducted from September ...to October 2018 in Dubrava Clinical Hospital in the ICU unit, with forty-one (41) healthcare professionals. Three forms of testing were set up: self-evaluation of stress, measurements of physiological indicators, and cortisol levels. The results show a statistically significant difference in mean cortisol levels, with the first sample much higher than other samples. There were significant interactions between skin conduction (SC) and stress levels, where all participants exhibited increases in SC. Heart rate variability (HRV) shows a slight correlation with stress levels in the group possessing substantially more stress experience. Although some differences were observed, all stress elements for professionals working in ICUs indicates that they cope well with stressful situations
The aim of the study was to investigate health safety and quality of the Croatian acacia honey, the selected elements in the soil, and whether multivariate methods can provide identification of the ...origin of honey. The study included 200 acacia honey samples and 100 soil samples from East, Northwest Croatia, and Istria. The proportion of acacia in honey was determined by conducting pollen analysis. Water, free acids, electric conductivity, reducing sugars, saccharose, diastase, and HMF were determined. No significant differences were found using Kruskal-Wallis test regarding the physicochemical parameters (p=0.9190), the mineral content of honey (p=0.8955), or the mineral composition of the soil (p=0.8789). No significant correlation was found between the analyzed elements in honey and soil. Multivariate methods indicated that East Croatia honey samples have higher concentrations of water, HMF, and higher concentrations of measured elements, except for Al. Honey samples from Northwest Croatia are characterized by low concentrations of elements and a higher concentration of saccharose. The Istria samples are richer in reducing sugars, free acids, diastase, higher conductivity, higher content of the acacia pollen grains, and lower concentrations of most metals. Honey from Northwest Croatia and Istria shares the high concentration of Al in honey.
NITRATE IN LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES AND ESTIMATED INTAKE Brkić, Danijel; Bošnir, Jasna; Bevardi, Martina ...
African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines,
03/2017, Volume:
14, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Vegetarian diets are rich in vegetables. Green leafy vegetables are foods that contain considerable amounts of nitrate, which can have both positive and negative effects on the human body. Their ...potential carcinogenicity and toxicity have been proven, particularly after the reduction of nitrate to nitrite itself or just serving as a reactant with amines and/or amides in the formation of N-nitroso compounds -N-nitrosamines and other nitrogen compounds which may have high levels of nitrate. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a significant difference, considering the location and seasonal sampling period, in the level of nitrate in certain types of green vegetables, all in order to be able to assess their intake, and possible impact on human health, especially knowing that exposure to nitrate can be potentially higher for vegetarian population group.
For this purpose, the sampling of 200 different leafy green vegetables was conducted, all of which could be found in free sale in the Republic of Croatia. The sampling was conducted during two seasonal periods - the spring and autumn period. In the springtime, lettuce (sem), spinach (pinacho), kale (kale), chard (mangel) and cabbage (brassica) were sampled, and in autumn lettuce, spinach, kale, chard and arugula. Samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection.
The results from the spring sampling phase were in the range of 603 mg/kg for cabbage - 972 mg/kg for chard, and for autumn phase of 1.024 mg/kg for chard to 4.354 mg/kg for the arugula. The results showed that there were significant differences (p <0.05) for most of the samples analyzed, considering the sampling locations and time period.
The results indicate that the analyzed vegetables contain significant amounts of nitrate in their composition, which represents relatively significant, but still acceptable intake into the human body.
Halal tourism vs sustainable tourism Dugonjić, Aldin; Uršulin-Trstenjak, Natalija
Ekonomski izazovi,
2022, Volume:
11, Issue:
22
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), sustainable tourism is defined: "as tourism that fully takes into account current and future economic, social and environmental effects, ...addressing the needs of visitors, sectors, the environment and destinations". It is well known that halal tourism occupies an increasingly important place in the overall tourist traffic, while on the other hand, increasing attention in the world is paid to sustainable tourism. In this paper, we analyze the development of halal tourism and sustainable tourism, their similarities and differences, ie does sustainable tourism also mean halal tourism. Halal tourism is a tourist offer primarily intended for muslims, in which at least two conditions must be met, namely the possibility of performing prayers and halal food.
Demand for halal products and services is constantly increasing on the world market. The 50,981 people who lives in Croatia are Muslims (1.32% of the total population), with the fact of the presence ...of an increasing number of workers from countries such as Bangladesh, as well as the arrival of tourists who demand halal products and services. Currently, 95 manufacturers with over 5,500 products are halal certified in Croatia. The aim of this paper is to determine how halal products are recognized among the population and used as such, taking into account their increasing availability on the market. The research is conducted through an anonymous survey questionnaire on social networks. A halal product does not only have a religious connotation. On the global market, they are becoming increasingly so-called. lifestyle of people whose eating and other lifestyle habits (if they are not already vegan or vegetarian) imply a more ethical attitude towards the killing of animals, quality, food safety, proper nutrition, the use of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, because such products do not contain certain fats, gelatin and additives.
Ftalati su esteri ftalne kiseline i alifatskih alkohola koji se dodaju u plastične mase da bi se poboljšala njihova mekoća, savitljivost i rastezljivost. Zbog svojih fizičko-kemijskih svojstava ...ftalati su vrlo mobilni i lako migriraju iz plastičnih proizvoda u prostor koji ih okružuje, pa tako dospijevaju u okoliš te su stoga opasni za čovjeka.
U radu su ukratko opisana svojstva i raspodjela ftalata u okolišu, toksični učinci na ljudsko zdravlje te zakonska regulativa vezana uz maksimalno dopuštene koncentracije ftalata u vodi za piće i u proizvodima namijenjenima dojenčadi, kao i dopušteni dnevni unos u ljudski organizam. Posebna pažnja posvećena je metodama određivanja ftalata u alkoholnim pićima te razinama ftalata s osvrtom na njihovu pojavnost i koncentracije u šljivovici koja se proizvodi u Hrvatskoj. Obuhvaćena je i tematika vezana za ftalate u denaturiranom alkoholu i neregistriranom alkoholu koji se ilegalno stavlja na tržište.
U zaključku su navedene smjernice za učinkoviti nadzor nad putovima izloženosti ljudi ftalatima.
Phthalates are phthalic acid and aliphatic alcohol esters used as additives to plastic in order to improve its softness, flexibility, and elongation. Phthalates are highly mobile and migrate easily from plastic products into the environment due to their physical and chemical properties.
This study briefly describes the characteristics and distribution of phthalates in the environment, their toxic effects on human health, the legislation regarding the maximum allowed concentration of phthalates in drinking water and products intended for infants, as well as the tolerable daily intake. Special attention is given to the methods of determining phthalates and their levels in alcoholic beverages, with an overview of phthalate occurrences and concentrations in plum brandy made in Croatia. A segment on denatured alcohol and illegally marketed alcohol is also included, as well as guidelines for the effective monitoring of the routes of human exposure to phthalates.
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