Background: Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is a coastal Mediterranean aromatic medicinal plant rich in essential oil components, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Studies highlight the potential health ...benefits of myrtle bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antiproliferative properties. Since limited research exists on myrtle fruit’s lipid fraction, the aim of this study was to apply supercritical CO2 extraction to obtain bioactive compounds from myrtle berries focusing on the fatty acids, sterols, and essential oils. Methods: The optimization of the supercritical CO2 extraction of myrtle fruit using CO2 as solvent was carried out using the response surface methodology with Box–Behnken experimental design. The following conditions were tested: temperature (40, 50, and 60 °C), pressure (200, 300, and 400 bar), and flow rate (20, 30, and 40 g min−1) on the yield of lipid extract as well as on the yield of fatty acids, phytosterols, and volatiles present in the extract and constituting its bioactive potential. Results: In the extracts examined, 36 fatty acids, 7 phytosterols, and 13 volatiles were identified. The average yield of the extract was 5.20%, the most abundant identified fatty acid was essential cis-linolenic acid (76.83%), almost 90% of the total phytosterols were β-sitosterol (12,465 mg kg−1), while myrtenyl acetate (4297 mg kg−1) was the most represented volatile compound. The optimal process conditions obtained allow the formulation of extracts with specific compositions.
Research background. Herbs and spices used in traditional medicine are nowadays increasingly used in combinations to create functional food formulations aimed at treating specific symptoms and ...disorders. Among herbs originating from the Mediterranean region, extracts of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.), bay leaf (Laurel nobilis L.) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) are traditionally used for gastrointestinal disorders. When considering how to incorporate these extracts into products, dairy-free milk alternatives provide an excellent base with almond-based drinks being among the most popular within this group.
Experimental approach. The aim of this study is therefore to optimise the formulation of an almond drink fortified with a 25 % (on dry mass basis) aqueous herbal extract containing myrtle, bay leaf (25 % each) and fennel seed (50 %) extracts. A central composite design with 20 formulations varied the content of φ(aqueous herbal extract)=2–6 %, lecithin as emulsifier 0.15–0.45 and xylitol as sweetener 2–5 % (m/V), while antioxidant activity, total phenolic content and sensory properties were determined as dependent variables.
Results and conclusions. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of the prepared almond drink formulations increased with the amount of added concentrated aqueous herbal extracts, as did the colour, herbal odour and flavour, bitterness and aftertaste. The addition of lecithin resulted in a darker colour and the sweetness was increased by the xylitol content. All formulations had good overall attractiveness, which increased with higher xylitol content.
Novelty and scientific contribution. The current work offers new insights into the optimisation of fortified dairy-free alternatives. The addition of myrtle, bay leaf and fennel seed extracts to almond drink-based formulations resulted in a 12-fold increase in antioxidant activity. Xylitol masks the potential bitterness of the phenolic compounds so that higher amounts of extracts can be added.
Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic and its effect on the world led to major changes in educational practices worldwide and presented many challenges for students from vulnerable groups. In this study, we ...examined protective and risk factors related to schooling from the perspective of students with learning disabilities (LD) and/or attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during the pandemic in three European countries. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews with 53 primary school students and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results showed that additional individualised educational support from the school was the most common protective factor, followed by the availability of synchronous teaching. On the other hand, lack of individualisation and additional educational support, and shortcomings in teaching strategies during distance education, were the most common risk factors. These findings lead to the conclusion that school professionals need additional training on academic accommodations for LD and/or ADHD students and how to provide them under the conditions of distance and hybrid education.
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of cryogrinding pretreatment on the recovery of essential oil, phenolics and pigments from myrtle leaves. The duration of cryogrinding (3, 6 and ...9 min) in combination with the duration of hydrodistillation (30, 60 and 90 min) for the isolation of essential oils and the duration of hydroethanolic extraction (5, 10 and 15 min) for the isolation of phenols and pigments were studied as independent factors in a full factorial design. The major volatile components detected in myrtle leaf essential oil were myrtenyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, α-pinene and linalool. The most abundant phenols detected were myricetin derivatives (myricetin 3-O-galactoside and myricetin 3-O-rhamnoside), galloylquinic acid, myricetin and digalloylquinic acid, while the major pigments were chlorophyll b, pheophytin a and lutein. A 3 min cryogrinding pretreatment significantly increased the yield and concentrations of essential oil volatile compounds and reduced the distillation time to 30 min. A 9 min cryogrinding pretreatment and 15 min extraction resulted in at least 40% higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and pigments in the extracts when compared to the untreated control. According to the results obtained, cryogrinding can significantly increase the yield of myrtle EO and extracts and also modulate their composition.
Phenolic content and antioxidant capacity (AC) was evaluated in extracts of bay, sage and thyme leaves, myrtle leaves and berries, and sea buckthorn berries obtained by conventional (CE) and advanced ...extraction techniques ultrasound-assisted (UAE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) using 80% acetone (v/v) as extraction solvent. Extracts were analyzed for phenolic content using UPLC/ESI MS2 and AC by ORAC method. Results indicated the variations in the phenolic composition and concentrations among analyzed plant species and applied extraction methods. Flavonoids showed to be the predominant phenolic group represented by flavonols kaemferol-3-O-hexoside (182.58–321.45 mg 100−1 g dm) and quercetin-3-glucoside (253.05–315.67 mg/100 g dm) in bay leaves, by flavonol isorhamnetine-3-O-hexoside (27.76–45.16 mg/100 g dm) in sea buckthorn berries and by flavone luteolin-7-O-glucoside (470.27–781.78 mg/100 g dm) in sage leaves. Among the phenolic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids and their derivates were the predominant phenolic group in thyme leaves and myrtle. Statistical analysis showed that ASE contributed to the highest content of total flavonols, flavones, hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids as well as AC. CE was more efficient method for the extraction of total flavan-3-ols, while UAE showed the highest efficiency in extraction of total anthocyanins. Analyzed plant extracts proved to be a rich source of various phenolics and results indicated suitable extraction methods for target phenolic compounds characteristic for certain plant species.
The aim of the study was to explore Croatian and Polish teachers’ opinions on quality of inclusive education. A sample of 173 teachers from Poland and 139 from Croatia completed the Scale on Quality ...Indicators for Inclusion – for Teachers. In general, teachers reported positive assessments of inclusion quality. Respondents from both countries gave highest ratings on the subscale Support monitoring and evaluation, while the lowest ratings were given on the subscale Teaching assistant support by Polish participants and on the subscale Resources for inclusive education by the Croatian sample. Poland teachers gave higher ratings than Croatian teachers on all the subscales except Teaching assistant support. The discussion makes an attempt to present how two different societal contexts shape the development and implementation of inclusion.
The objective of this paper is to determine whether age, gender, Individualised Education Programme, the experience of victimisation by peers, and the experience of bullying others are predictors of ...bullying and victimisation in children with ADHD. The sample consisted of children aged from 7 to 15 with ADHD diagnosis (N=72). Gender is a significant predictor of physical bullying, whereas the predictors of verbal bullying are gender, being enrolled in an Individualised Education Programme (IEP), verbal victimisation and the feeling of security. The males with ADHD without any school accommodations (IEP) and who are exposed to verbal victimisation are also more often verbally aggressive towards their peers. Children with ADHD who are verbally aggressive and feel secure in the school setting are more exposed to verbal victimisation. (DIPF/Orig.).
The ADHD symptoms put the children suffering from this disorder at a higher risk of being a victim of bulling as well as of behaving aggressively towards peers. Objectives: This study is conducted in ...order to identify the frequency of specific forms of victimization and bullying in children with ADHD, and to determine if there is any correlation between victimization and bullying, and between different forms of bullying in children with ADHD. Methods: Bullying was tested on a sample of 72 first-through-eighth graders with ADHD diagnosis by means of the School Bullying Questionnaire (UŠN-2003) designed in line with the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Results: The results indicate a statistically significant correlation between being a victim and being a perpetrator of bullying. The study also shows statistically significant correlations between specific forms of bullying. Conclusion: The results of this study provide guidelines for further studies and prevention/ intervention programs concerning bullying which involves children with ADHD.
Starting from the assumption that family climate affects the adaptive behaviour, the goal of this research is to examine the relationship of family climate measured by a Scale of family environment ...(Moos and Moos, 2002) and adaptive behaviour of children measured by BRP-2 (Brow and Hammill, 1990). A sample of children with disabilities (N=60) and typical children (N= 73), both sexes, students from elementary schools in Zagreb, grade 6. Children gave self-assessment of their behaviour and family climate, parents assessed the adaptive behaviour of children. There was a statistically significant correlation between the adaptive behaviour of children with disabilities and some aspects of family climate. In families in which conflicts are more present, there is lower level of adaptive behaviour of children with disabilities. Higher levels of adaptive behaviour of girls with disabilities at home was found in those families where a better
cohesion, organization and where there are common recreational activities. Higher levels of adaptive behaviour of girls with disabilities among their peers is associated with better family cohesion, while higher levels of behaviour in schools is associated with a higher incidence of intellectual and cultural activities in the family. Better organization of the family and the presence of intellectual and cultural activity is associated with higher levels of adaptive behaviour of typical boys. Adaptive behaviour of typical girls is negatively associated with cohesion, family organization, and intellectual and cultural activities of the family. The results are interpreted in the light of theories about the family as a system.
This research aims to analyze the need for educational rehabilitation experts to be included in supervision in Croatia and to determine the predictors of that need. Educational rehabilitation experts ...are more sensitive to stress and burnout compared to other „helper professions“ and at higher risk for reduced achievement and job dissatisfaction (Nichols and Sosnowski 2002). Therefore, for educational rehabilitation experts, supervision could play an important role. Their search was conducted electronically through an online survey questionnaire in which 120 Croatian educational rehabilitation experts with a master's degree took part. An adapted questionnaire by Kolega and Vlahović-Štetić (2014) was used for these purposes, which contains data on the socioeconomic status, issues related to experience, and the need for supervision and loneliness in the workplace. The Stress at Work Scale (Majdak 2020) and the adaptation of the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (Maslić Seršić, Šverko and Galić 2004) were also applied. Results show that 52.5% of the participants (N=63) had a general experience of supervision and 26.7% (N=32) had an experience of the integrative developmental model of supervision. The majority of participants 76.7% (N=92) express a need for supervision. The results of the regression analysis show that the only statistically significant predictor of the need for supervision experiences in supervision (R = 0.36, R² = 13, p <0.00). Those with experience in supervision express a greater need for supervision. Other predictors (years of service, job satisfaction, stress, loneliness at work) are not statistically significant. The results obtained by the research can serve as an incentive for further and more detailed research and for spreading awareness on the importance of including educational rehabilitation experts in various forms of professional support.
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