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Copyright of Meat Technology is the property of Institute of Meat Hygiene & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Meat Technology is the property of Institute of Meat Hygiene & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Meat Technology is the property of Institute of Meat Hygiene & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Meat Technology is the property of Institute of Meat Hygiene & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Meat Technology is the property of Institute of Meat Hygiene & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Meat Technology is the property of Institute of Meat Hygiene & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Meat Technology is the property of Institute of Meat Hygiene & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A new GC-MS/MS method from the ISO 18363 series of standards for determination of fatty acid bound chloropropanediols and glycidol was assessed for its performance characteristics. This method enables indirect simultaneous determination of free 2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol (2-MCPD), 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and glycidol in a single sample preparation and analysis protocol. Results of the validation study show satisfactory performance characteristics, well within required limits. Recently held proficiency testing also showed the adequate performance of the laboratories employing this method. Taking into consideration the simpler sample preparation and stringent quality control inherent to this protocol, wider use of ISO 18363:4:2021 for routine applications can be expected in the foreseeable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analytical determination of phosphate additives in food presents some difficulties that are not only related to the applied analytical technique, but also to the ingredients used in production. Meat, by itself, contains organically bound phosphorus, but also inorganic phosphates. Even water used in production can contain certain amounts of inorganic phosphates. That is why a measurable quantity of phosphate exists in products even without the addition of permitted phosphate additives. By applying ion chromatography to determine the total inorganic phosphate content in meat products, it was found that the greatest number of products that did not comply with the regulation were those in which phosphate additives are seldomly added. About one fifth of analysed fermented sausages and about one quarter of dried meat products contained phosphates at levels that exceeded the maximum permitted level, expressed as P2O5. The main reason may be that these products go through a drying phase during production, whereby, with the decrease in the amount of water in them, the share of other ingredients, as well as phosphate, increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to develop a quadrupole liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method suitable for quantification of synthetic food colors, used as additives or occurring as adulterants in the food or cosmetics industries. Ten colors were validated in terms of limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), precision, trueness and applicability. All tested parameters of the validation were within acceptable values, and the method was comparable to the existing high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC UV-PDA) method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of pesticides in the world is increasing, newly synthesized ones are replacing old ones, so pyrethroids should replace organophosphorus pesticides. As the pests become resistant, other compounds are added to the formulations in addition to pesticides; the function of these added compounds is to enhance the effect of active substances by slowing down their degradation in the pests. A wide range of products, from vegetables, fruits, animal feed, fish feed, teas, spices and honey to cereals, was analysed in order to gain insight into the distribution of pesticides, with special reference to pyrethroids and piperonyl butoxide in the analysed samples. The technique of gas chromatography with tandem mass detection (GC-MS/MS) was used for these analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this investigation is to determine the content of ten elements, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Fe, Zn, As, Cu, Se, and Cd, in pig feed, manure and earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris). Samples were collected during 2015 and 2017, on four pig farms in Serbia, and analyzed for elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. According to the mean concentrations, the elements show the following trends: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Cd > Se > As > Co in monocalcium phosphate, Zn > Mn > Fe > Cu > Co > Cr > Ni > Se > As > Cd in vitamin-mineral premixes, Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Ni > Cr > Se > Co > As > Cd in complete feed, and Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Ni > Cr > Co > Se > Cd > As in pig manure. The obtained results show that monocalcium phosphate and vitamin-mineral premixes are the main source of Mn, Zn, and Fe in complete feed mixtures. The Cd concentration in one sample of monocalcium phosphate exceeds the maximum permissible level. Only one out of six investigated complete feed mixtures was in accordance with the national and EU regulations. The presence of Fe, Zn, and Mn in earthworms reflects their concentration in pig manure, but this is not noticed for Cr, Cu, Se, As, Ni, Co, and Cd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine magnesium content in two types of chicken meat samples and to calculate average intake of magnesium through chicken by adults in Serbia. Meat and meat products are important sources of many nutrients, including protein, minerals, vitamins and fats. One of the minerals necessary for the normal functioning of the human body is magnesium. Considering the price, availability and consumption, chicken meat is one of the most important foods in the human diet. A total of 81 samples were analysed using inductively coupled plasma with mass detection. The results showed that the average magnesium content in chicken meat was 297.8 mg/kg. The intake of magnesium by chicken meat per adult in Serbia was found to be 51.48 g per day, which represents 5% of the recommended daily intake. Taking into account the wide spectrum of other nutrients that we consume through chicken meat, we can conclude that chicken plays an important role in overall magnesium intake by adults in Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation of the novel tetrahydropyrimidines—THPMs are described. THPMs are well-known for wide pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, etc. This research includes obtained results of in vitro antimicrobial, anticancer, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of the eleven novel THPMs. An antibiotic assessment was done against five bacteria (two Gram-positive and three Gram-negative) and five fungi by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), using the broth tube dilution method. The most active antibacterial compounds were 4a, 4b, and 4d, while the best antifungal activity was shown by 4e, 4f, and 4k. The lowest MIC value (0.20 mg/mL) was measured for 4e, 4f, and 4k against the Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Moreover, examining the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity revealed the compound 4g as the one with the best activity. The cytotoxic activity was performed on the tumor cell lines (HeLa, K562, and MDA-MB-231) and normal cells (MRC-5). The best antitumor activity was shown by compounds 4b and 4k against HeLa cell lines. The influence on cell cycle and mechanism of action of the most active compounds were examined too. Compound 4b had good antibacterial and anticancer activities, while 4k showed promising antifungal and anticancer activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of season-related heat stress in dams on mineral status, and hematological profile of their calves. Ten Holstein dams (LowT group) were exposed to the 49-day-long period of low air temperature (5.2 ± 0.5 °C) and ten dams (HighT group) were exposed to a 53-day-long high air temperature (27.4 ± 0.4 °C). The dams' blood samples were taken one hour after parturition, while colostrum was sampled at 2, 14, and 26 h after calving. Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Se concentrations were significantly lower while Cu and Co concentrations were significantly higher at least in two examined colostrum sampling points in HighT group. Calf's blood samples were taken before 1st colostrum intake, and on days 1, 2, 3, and 7 postnatal. Ca, P, Na, K, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Se, and Co were significantly lower while concentration of Mg was significantly higher in calves that originated from HighT group at least at two examined sampling points. Season affected dam's blood mineral status but the pattern was not always the same as in calves, since Na, K, Cu, and Co were significantly higher in HighT group. Calves that originated from HighT group had significantly lower hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, and MPV values, as well as neutrophils and monocyte counts, while platelets, eosinophils, basophils, and lymphocyte counts were significantly higher. Season-related heat stress leads to a reduction of the most minerals in both dams' colostrum and calves' blood and certain minerals' deficiencies are linked to impaired calves' hematological adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this review was to determine whether selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) affect the ability to conceive in men and women of reproductive age, as well as to find out whether there are certain differencies between them in terms of effects on fertility. Methods: Our review was based on systematic search of literature in four online databases: Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science and SCIndex (Serbian Citation Index). Results: Several clinical studies reported that SSRIs can decrease the number and viability of sperm, and cause a disruption of their morphological structure. Regarding the effect of these antidepressants on female fertility, some experimental findings suggest that paroxetine and escitalopram may have a negative effect on the ability to conceive due to their stimulatory effect on fallopian tube motility. However, several observational studies favor the use of SSRIs in women with depression/anxiety undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) given their efficiency in suppressing these unpleasant symptoms without a relevant negative impact on IVF outcomes. Conclusions: SSRIs should be avoided male patients of reproductive age who wish to conceive, while the use of these antidepressants seems to be justified in women with depression or anxiety who have undergone IVF. SSRIs could cause dose and duration-dependent reversible adverse effects on male fertility parameters. In depressed or anxious male patients of reproductive age who wish to conceive mirtazapine or bupropion should be used because of their lower potential to cause sexual side effects. The results of certain experimental studies indicate that paroxetine and escitalopram may have a negative effect on the fertility of female patients. The use of SSRIs in women with depression or anxiety who have undergone IVF seems to be justified, because these psychiatric disorders reduce the likelihood of becoming pregnant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archives of Industrial Hygiene & Toxicology / Arhiv za Higijenu Rada I Toksikologiju is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Agriculturae Serbica is the property of University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Agronomy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Hospital Pharmacology: International Multidisciplinary Journal is the property of Serbian Medical Society, Section for Clinical Pharmacology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Our aim was to determine risk factors for and frequency of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) among hospitalized patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of the-first time hospitalized MG patients or patients hospitalized because of the exacerbation of MG at the Neurology Clinic of the Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade. Medical records and discharge summaries of hospitalized MG patients over a 10-year period were reviewed. The pDDIs were identified by means of Micromedex, and multivariate regression methods were used to reveal potential predictors of number of pDDIs per patient. The study included 687 patients with MG. In total, 2041 pDDIs were detected in 608 (88.5%) patients. Among the discovered pDDIs, 329 different pDDIs were observed. The most frequent pDDIs were pyridostigmine-prednisone (487patients/70.9%) and aspirin-prednisone (90 patients/13.1%) classified as moderate, and enalapril-potassium chloride (71patients/10.3%) classified as major pDDI. Five drugs (aspirin, insulin, prednisone, cyclosporine, metformin) were responsible for 22.6% of different pDDIs. Dyspnea, generalized form of MG, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, total number of drugs-used, use of antiplatelets were identified as the relevant risk factors for total number of pDDIs (R2 = 0.626,F = 73.797, p < 0.001), while age of patients and history of cancer were inversely correlated with such an outcome. The frequency of the pDDIs in hospitalized MG patients is high, and adversely influenced by dyspnea, generalized MG, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, total number of drugs-used and use of antiplatelets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactions in water as a safe and cheap solvent is a major goal of green chemistry. Actual synthesis of pyrido-dipyrimidine scaffold, named DNA-base hybrids, involves catalysis in hazardous solvents. Here we synthesised pyrido-dipyrimidines by one-pot heterocyclization of thiobarbituric acid, vanillic aldehydes and amines in water. Enamine and vanillidene are key intermediates of the Biginelli-like reaction mechanism. Our synthetic method displays several benefits such as the use of a green medium and various substrates, and yields up to 99%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Seizures, which could not be controlled by drug therapy, have profound negative influence on the quality of life of the affected person. If with clear locus of origin and accompanied by loss of consciousness, drug-resistant epilepsy could be treated by surgery. Areas covered: The aim of this article was to review current status of epilepsy surgery through description of the most important operative methods and narrative comparison of their benefits and harms. In total 1154 articles were retrieved from MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EBSCO, and SCINDEKS databases, and 78 included in the review. The review included systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical trials, observational studies on humans, case series, and case reports. Expert opinion: Sophisticated diagnostic methods nowadays offer much more precise localization of epileptogenic focus and detailed planning of a surgical procedure which will make minimal damage of neural pathways and structures essential for movements, speech, cognition, and emotions. Advent of perioperative care, and improved diagnostics and surgical techniques resulted with significant drop in rates of postoperative complications, long-term neurological deficit, and mortality in the last decade, while seizure freedom rate and quality of life increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Second-generation triazoles were developed in response to the quest for more efficacious and safer therapeutic options for the treatment of severe systemic aspergillosis and candidiasis. These agents include voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole, and ravuconazole. The aim of this review was to present and compare the pharmacokinetic characteristics of second-generation triazoles for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and candidiasis, emphasizing their clinical implications. The MEDLINE, Scopus, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and SCIndeks databases were searched using advanced search options, including the names of second-generation triazoles and pharmacokinetic terms as keywords. The intravenous administration of voriconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazole results in stable pharmacokinetics of these drugs, with mostly predictable variations influenced by common and usually known factors in routine clinical settings. The high oral bioavailability of isavuconazole and, to some extent, voriconazole makes them suitable for intravenous-to-oral switch strategies. Except for intravenous voriconazole (due to the accumulation of the toxic vehicle hydroxypropyl betadex), dose reduction of second-generation triazoles is not needed in patients with renal failure; patients with hepatic insufficiency require dose reduction only in advanced disease stages. The introduction of therapeutic drug monitoring could aid attempts to optimize the blood concentrations of triazoles and other drugs that are known to or that possibly interact, thus increasing treatment efficacy and safety. There is a need for new studies that are designed to provide useful data on second-generation triazole pharmacokinetics, particularly in special circumstances such as central nervous system and ocular infections, infections in newborns and infants, and in subjects with genetic polymorphisms of metabolizing enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative, efficient, clean, experimentally simple and environmentally friendly one-pot biocatalytic synthesis of two small libraries of 3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinoxalinones (4a–m) and 3,4-dihydro-1,4-benzoxazin-2-ones (5a, 5b, 5f and 5k–o) by heterocyclization of ethyl 2-hydroxy-4-alkyl(aryl)-4-oxo-2-butenoates (1a–o) or their corresponding salts (1a′–o′) with o-phenylenediamine (2) or o-aminophenol (3) in lemon juice as a solvent and a catalyst is presented. In all reactions where esters 1a–o are used for 24 h, very good-to-excellent yields were achieved, but the best yield was realized in the synthesis of 5a (97%) from 3 and 1a. The use of enolate salts (1a′–o′) instead of the corresponding esters 1a–o significantly reduced the reaction time (up to 6 h) and good-to-excellent yields were achieved. Groups with electron-donating or -withdrawing effects at the aromatic ring of the ester did not have significant influences on the yield of targeted products. In addition, several selected 3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinoxalinones and 3,4-dihydro-1,4-benzoxazin-2-ones on a gram-scale in the yields up to 92% were synthesized. The presented synthetic strategy has produced smaller amount of waste without by-products and with excellent values of green chemistry metrics (atom efficiency, reaction mass efficiency, E-factor and EcoScale). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible potential of preschool staff through a newly designed questionnaire and evaluate their role in the prevention of early childhood caries (EEC) in Serbia where extremely high prevalence of this preventable disease was recorded. We preformed a cross-sectional study of 268 preschool staff using specially prepared semi-structured questionnaire for measuring potential of secondary children's caregivers to prevent EEC. The questionnaire was tested on a pilot sample and after that all collected data were analyzed trough construction of correlation matrix with the evaluation of the value of each question, reliability testing, factorial analysis and estimating of its validity using SPSS software. The tested questionnaire had good internal consistency based on the Cronbach's alpha coefficient value of 0.873 calculated directly and similar value (0.899) after applied Spearman-Brown 'prediction' formula. Using exploratory factorial analysis and orthogonal rotation, we identified two domains that emerged with similar loadings (4.043 and 3.183). The first factor (domain) reflected attitudes of the study participants towards prevention of EEC, and the second factor (domain) showed behaviour of the study participants, which includes preventive actions against EEC. The total score of the questionnaire was correlated positively with oral health knowledge (Spearman's correlation coefficient 0.331, p=000) and inversely with the length of employment, where each additional year of employment decreased the total score of the questionnaire by 1.20. These findings could partially explain an extremely high prevalence of EEC in young children and indicate that preschool teachers should be more engaged in health education activities and motivation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Serbian Journal of Experimental & Clinical Research is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Studies of metal accumulation in fish are mainly focused on the muscle tissue, while the metal accumulation patterns in other tissues have been largely neglected. Muscle is not always a good indicator of the whole fish body contamination. Elemental accumulation in many fish tissues and organs and their potential use in monitoring programs have not received proper attention. In the present study, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn concentrations were assessed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the following 14 tissues of the wels catfish ( Silurus glanis) from the Danube River: muscle, gills, spleen, liver, kidneys, intestine, gizzard, heart, brain, gallbladder, swim bladder, vertebra, operculum, and gonads. A high level of differential elemental accumulation among the studied tissues was observed. The maximum overall metal accumulation was observed in the vertebra, followed by the kidneys and liver, with the metal pollution index (MPI) values of 0.26, 0.25, and 0.24, respectively. The minimum values were observed in the gallbladder, muscle, brain, and swim bladder, with MPI values of 0.03, 0.06, 0.07, and 0.09, respectively. Average metal concentrations in the fish muscle were below the maximum allowed concentrations for human consumption. The mean As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Fe, and Zn concentrations in the muscle were 0.028, 0.001, 0.001, 0.192, 3.966, and 3.969 μg/g wet weight, respectively. We believe that the presented findings could be of interest for the scientific community and freshwater ecosystem managers. There is a need for further research that would assess less studied tissues in different fish species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work has been developed to examine the level of non-dioxin-like (ndl) PCBs (28, 52, 101, 138, 153 and 180) in (a) ten different freshwater fish species from the Danube river, (b) two sampling points: up and downstream of the industrial zone of the city of Pancevo (ecological hot spot in Serbia) and (c) two time points i.e., in 2001 and 2006. Obtained results would serve to analyse spatial, temporal and congener profile characteristics of ndl PCBs cumulated in fish tissues due to environmental pollution. Sixty-four samples of the following species were collected: wels ( Silirus glanus), pike ( Esox lucius), bream ( Abramis brama), crucian carp ( Carassius carassius), pike pearch ( Stizostedion lucioperca), barbel ( Barbus barbus), tench ( Tinca tinca), sterlet ( Acipenser ruthenus L.), common carp ( Cyprinus carpio) and bighead carp ( Hypophthalmichthys nobilis). Gas chromatography coupled with electron capture detector was used for analysis of ndl PCBs. Total ndl PCBs content in upstream samples ranged from 2.7 to 98.1 ng/g and from 4.9 to 68.3 ng/g in 2001 and 2006, respectively. During the 5 years, ndl PCBs content increased significantly in downstream samples i.e., ndl PCBs varied from 13.7 to 46.1 ng/g and from 14.4 to 107.2 ng/g in 2001 and 2006, respectively. PCBs 138 and 180 were predominant congeners in 2001, while in 2006 the most abundant PCB congeners were 138 and 153. In 2006, the presence of PCB 28 and PCB 52 has indicated a recent contamination event. Data on continual monitoring of PCBs in all relevant environmental compartments together with appropriate biomonitoring data are expected to give comprehensive insight into the fate and behaviour profile of these contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two different analytical methods for the determination and confirmation of ochratoxin A (OTA) in blood serum, kidney, and liver of pigs have been compared. Sample cleanup was based on liquid–liquid phase extraction. The detection of OTA was accomplished with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined either with fluorescence detection (FLD) or electrospray ionization (ESI+) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The comparative method of evaluation was based on the investigation of 90 samples of blood serum, kidney, and liver per animal originating from different regions of Serbia. The analytical results are discussed in view of the respective method validation data and the corresponding experimental protocols. In general, analytical data obtained with liquid chromatography (LC)-MS/MS detection offered comparable good results in the sub-ppb concentration level indicating that the electrospray tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS/MS) method was more selective and sensitive for the analysis and confirmation of OTA in pig tissues than the HPLC method after the methylation of OTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of modified clinoptilolite (Minazel Plus®, MZ) as a mycotoxin adsorbent for preventing the negative the effects of ochratoxin A (OTA) on performance, pathohistological changes, and OTA residue in the eggs of laying hens. Methods: Forty eight (n = 48) laying hens (27 weeks old) were equally divided into six groups and depending on the type of addition were allocated to the following experimental treatments for 7 weeks: E-I group-1 mg/kg OTA; E-II group 0.25 mg/kg OTA; E-III group 1 mg/kg OTA + 0.2% of MZ; E-IV group 0.25 mg/kg OTA + 0.2% of MZ; MZ group supplemented with 0.2% of the adsorbent; and control (K, without feed additive). Results: Overall, the addition of 0.2% MZ to laying hen feed mitigated the harmful effects of OTA on target organs and reduced the presence of OTA residue in eggs. The groups that received 0.2% of MZ achieved better production results in terms of body weight, number of eggs, and feed consumption, compared to the other treatments. Conclusions: The current findings confirm the efficacy of MZ in preventing performance losses in laying hens exposed to OTA, as well as for improving the welfare and health of food producing animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]