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Polyphenolic compounds are of great interest in today’s science. Naturally, they occur in plants and other sources in many different forms. Their wide range of biological activity has attracted the attention of the scientific community. One of the sources of phenolic compounds is stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.), a common plant in almost all parts of the world. A long tradition of utilization and an interesting chemical profile make this plant a fascinating and extensive object of study. The chemical profile also allows this plant to be used as a food and a pigment source in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Previously conducted studies found phenolic acids and polyphenolic compounds in root, stalk, and stinging nettle leaves. Different extraction techniques were usually used to isolate them from the leaves. Obtained extracts were used to investigate biological activity further or formulate different functional food products. This study aimed to collect all available knowledge about this plant, its chemical composition, and biological activity and to summarize this knowledge with particular attention to polyphenolic compounds and the activity and mechanisms of their actions.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) represents a group of diseases that are the result of reduced blood flow to the heart. There are natural products, based on mushrooms, used traditionally in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Aim of the study: Assessment of the potential protective effect of L. betulinus mushroom against therapy-induced DNA damage in lymphocytes of patients with ACS in relation to the phytochemical properties of the mushroom. Materials and methods: The study included 30 ACS patients and 30 healthy controls. The genotoxic potential of acetone and ethanol extract of L. betulinus was evaluated using the comet assay. The contents of minerals were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Determination of sugars and organic acids was performed using a DIONEX ICS 3000 DP liquid chromatography system. Analysis of fatty acids was performed at Focus GC coupled with PolarisQ mass spectrometer. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the mushroom extracts were measured using spectrophotometric methods. The qualitative and quantitative content of polyphenolic compounds was investigated by the UHPLC-DADMS/MS method. Results: The comet assay showed that both mushroom extracts did not increase the level of DNA damage in the lymphocytes of healthy individuals, while they significantly decreased the %DNA damage and genetic damage index (p < 0.0005) in the therapy-induced lymphocytes of patients. The mushroom was very rich in phytochemical composition. The results showed that the most abundant components in the mushroom were phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur, and calcium among minerals and glucose, fructose, galactose, sorbitol, and turanose among carbohydrates. Among organic acids were present in higher concentrations malic, citric, and maleic acids, while among fatty acids, the most abundant were trans-linoleic, cis-oleic, palmitic, docosahexaenoic and eicosadienoic acids. The results showed

Please note that the author name Bielak was spelled incorrectly in the original publication. Also, the affiliation for author Milorad Veselinovíc was incorrect; it should be Institute of Forestry, Kneza Viseslava 3, Belgrade 11000, Serbia.

A diversity of factors, led by lithology, weathering, and erosion processes, plays a significant role in the formation and future of badland terrains. Then on previous observations it can be concluded that surface flow processes are the first trigger of erosion and that intense soil erosion combined with rapid and deep weathering are tightly connected to high erosion rates. Since climate change presents a global issue that gains increasing attention and due to the complexity of the interactions and processes that are a part of general badlands origin and evolution, a weathering experiment on badland sediments from China was conducted. Explaining temporal changes, the impact of different precipitation types and its durations of exposure on sediments during weathering processes, as well as its impact on leachate ions behaviour are the aims behind this experiment. Red clayey siltstone and mudstone badland sediments selected for the laboratory experiment were organized in four sets that included three different samples, making a total of 12 treated samples. Based on field climate data, in laboratory conditions samples were exposed to rain, acid rain, snow, and acid snow through fifteen daily cycles. Leachate was collected after each cycle and its volume, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and ion concentrations were measured and analysed from the leachate. Changes occurring on the surface of the sample were observed through photographs taken at the end of each cycle. Based on obtained results it can be said that the main differences occur when comparing rain and snow treatments generally. Temporal, cyclic changes were, to a certain extent, noticed through sediment decay. More importantly, durations of sediment exposure to precipitation proved to be crucial for weathering processes of tested siltstones and mudstones, having exclusion and ionic forces - ion exchange chromatography as dominant chemical processes.

The aim of the study was the comparative analysis of degradation of wheat straw lignin by white-rot fungi and its implications on the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of holocellulose. Peroxidases were found to be predominantly responsible for lignin degradation, even though high laccase activities were detected, especially in the initial stages of fungal culturing. The studied fungal species showed various ability to degrade lignin in wheat straw, which further affected the release of reducing sugars during enzymatic saccharification. The highest rate of lignin, hemicelluloses and cellulose degradation was noticed in the sample pretreated with Irpex lacteus. Among all the tested species, only Ganoderma resinaceum was found as a suitable lignin degrader, with 2-fold higher hydrolysis yield (51.1 ± 4.7%) than in the control. A key mechanism that enhances convertibility of carbohydrates is the selective lignin removal from biomass. Operating time, holocellulose loss and unpredictable fungal response to culturing conditions are the main challenges in fungal pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstock.

In this study we compared materials from less investigated badland sites in Turkey and China. Critical composition in badland material is the presence and ratio of the clay and silt size particles, clay mineralogy and presence of mobile ions, especially anions. In analyzed materials the presence of smectite governed the formation of surface crust. Surface cracks enabled ion leaching and became preferential paths from sediment movement. Critical composition in badland material is the presence and ratio of the clay and silt size particles and poor sorting. Sulphate and carbonate ions proved to be crucial for surface processes on these materials. Summarizing results it can be concluded that erodibility of badland lithologies is a combination of clay type, silt content and ion concentration.

Stinging nettle (SN) is an extraordinary plant from the Urticaceae botanical family. It is well-known and widely used in food and folk medicine to treat different disorders and diseases. This article aimed to study the chemical composition of SN leaves extracts, i.e., polyphenolic compounds and vitamins B and C, because many studies ascribed high biological potency to these compounds and their significance in the human diet. Besides the chemical profile, the thermal properties of the extracts were studied. The results confirmed presence of many polyphenolic compounds and vitamins B and C. It also showed that the chemical profile closely correlated with the applied extraction technique. The thermal analysis showed that analyzed samples were thermally stable up to about 160 °C. Thermal degradation of samples UAE, MAE, and MAC took place in four steps, and sample SE in three steps. Altogether, results confirmed the presence of health-beneficial compounds in stinging nettle leaves and indicated the possible application of its extract in pharmaceutical and food industries as both a medicinal and food additive.

The dual controlled release of emulgels makes them efficient drug delivery systems of increasing interest. The framework of this study was to incorporate selected L-ascorbic acid derivatives into emulgels. From the formulated emulgels, the release profiles of actives were evaluated considering their different polarities and concentrations, and consequently their effectiveness on the skin via a long-term in vivo study that lasted for 30 days was determined. Skin effects were assessed by measuring the electrical capacitance of the stratum corneum (EC), trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), melanin index (MI) and skin pH. In addition, the sensory and textural properties of emulgel formulations were compared with each other. The changes in the rate of the release of the L-ascorbic acid derivatives were monitored using the Franz diffusion cells. The obtained data were statistically significant, and indicated an increase in the degree of hydration of the skin and skin whitening potential, while no significant changes in TEWL and pH values were detected. The consistency, firmness and stickiness of the emulgels were estimated by volunteers applying the established sensory evaluation protocol. In addition, it was revealed that the difference in hydrophilic/lipophilic properties of L-ascorbic acid derivatives influenced their release profiles without changing their textural characteristics. Therefore, this study highlighted emulgels as L-ascorbic acid suitable carrier systems and one of the promising candidates as novel drug delivery systems.

The aim of this study was to find the chemical parameters for the differentiation of plum cultivars grown along the fjord areas of Western Norway and Eastern Norway, having specific agroclimatic conditions. Chemical analysis of the fruits confirmed the contents of 13 quantified elements, 22 sugar compounds, 11 organic acids, 19 phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity in 68 plum cultivars. Dominated contents were noted for nitrogen (with the maximum mean value of 3.11%), potassium (8055.80 mg/kg), and phosphorous (7878.88 mg/kg). Averagely, the highest level of sugars was determined for glucose (244.46 g/kg), fructose (197.92 g/kg), sucrose (208.25 g/kg), and sorbitol (98.02 g/kg), organic acids for malic acid (24.06 g/kg), and for polyphenol compounds were 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (66.31 mg/kg), and rutin (58.06 mg/kg). Applied principal component analysis has been useful for distinguishing the plum cultivars from three areas in Norway where copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and sodium; sucrose, ribose, maltose, and raffinose; p-hydroxybenzoic acid, rutin, ferulic acid, kaempferol 7-O-glucoside, p-coumaric acid, and 5-Ocaffeoylquinic acid were the most influential. In regard to human health and future breeding work that will have the aim to produce functional food with high health-related compounds, the plum cultivar ‘Mallard’ should be underlined due to the high level of elements, ‘Valor’ due to high sugar content, ‘Helgøyplomme’ due to content of organic acids, and ‘Diamond’ due to the content of phenolic compounds.

Usled modernog načina života ljudi provode oko 90 % vremena u zatvorenim prostorijama, kao što su kuće/stanovi, kancelarije, automobili itd. Prašina je sve prisutna u svim pomenutim sredinama i nalazi se kao čestice suspendovane u vazduhu ili istaložena na površinama. Čestice prašine se mogu lako udahnuti i mogu da oštete respiratorni sistem i pluća. Pored toga, čestice prašine akumuliraju hemikalije iz zatvorenih prostorija i predstavljaju važan put izlaganja ljudi tim jedinjenjima. U kućnoj prašini se mogu naći ftalati, policiklični aromatični ugljovodonici i ostala poluisparljiva jedinjenja. Ftalati se često koriste kao plastifikator u proizvodnji polivinil hlorida (PVC-a) i predmeta opšte upotrebe kao što su građevinski materijal, dečije igračke i nameštaj, ali i u proizvodnji podnih obloga, veštačke kože, lepkova, tepiha, maziva, cevi, žica, sredstava za čišćenje kuće, proizvoda za negu tela (fiksatori mirisa, proizvodi za negu kože, pene i šamponi) i ambalaže za namirnice. Primena ftalata zavisi od njihove molekulske mase. Ftalati male molekulske mase, kao što su di-metil-ftalat (DMP), di-etil-ftalat (DEP), di-propil-ftalat (DPP), di-izobutil-ftalat (DiBP), di-n-butil ftalat (DBP), di-n-pentil-ftalat (DNPP) i benzil- butil-ftalat (BBP), se koriste u rastvaračima, lepkovima, voskovima, mastilu, lekovima, kozmetici i insekticidima.Visokomolekulski ftalati, kao di-2-etilheksil-ftalat (DEHP), di- ciklo-heksil-ftalat (DCHP) i di-izo-nonil-ftalat (DiNP), su plastifikatori u PVC proizvodima i predmetima od opšte upotrebe. Estri ftalata su povezani sa velikim brojem zdravstvenih problema kod ljudi. Pre svega, ftalati deluju kao endokrini disruptori i doprinose stvaranju varijacija u reprodukcionom sistemu kao što su opadanje broja spermatozoida, oštećenje DNK u spermatozoidima, prevremeni razvoj dojki i promena u reproduktivnim hormonima. Ftalati utiču na pojavu astme, alergija i poremećaja funkcije nervnog sistema. Pored toga, DEHP je okarakterisan kao 2b kancerogena

The aim of this study was to find the chemical parameters for the differentiation of plum cultivars grown along the fjord areas of Western Norway and Eastern Norway, having specific agroclimatic conditions. Chemical analysis of the fruits confirmed the contents of 13 quantified elements, 22 sugar compounds, 11 organic acids, 19 phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity in 68 plum cultivars. Dominated contents were noted for nitrogen (with the maximum mean value of 3.11%), potassium (8055.80 mg/kg), and phosphorous (7878.88 mg/kg). Averagely, the highest level of sugars was determined for glucose (244.46 g/kg), fructose (197.92 g/kg), sucrose (208.25 g/kg), and sorbitol (98.02 g/kg), organic acids for malic acid (24.06 g/kg), and for polyphenol compounds were 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (66.31 mg/kg), and rutin (58.06 mg/kg). Applied principal component analysis has been useful for distinguishing the plum cultivars from three areas in Norway where copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and sodium; sucrose, ribose, maltose, and raffinose; p-hydroxybenzoic acid, rutin, ferulic acid, kaempferol 7-O-glucoside, p-coumaric acid, and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid were the most influential. In regard to human health and future breeding work that will have the aim to produce functional food with high health-related compounds, the plum cultivar ‘Mallard’ should be underlined due to the high level of elements, ‘Valor’ due to high sugar content, ‘Helgøyplomme’ due to content of organic acids, and ‘Diamond’ due to the content of phenolic compounds. © 2023 by the authors.

The topography and morpho-anatomical characteristics of floral nectaries and the chemical analysis of nectar have been studied in seven pear cultivars with different susceptibility to Erwinia amylovora. The susceptible cultivar Williams, the moderately resistant cultivars Bella di guigno, Poire de Cure and the low susceptible cultivar Alexander Lucas originated from Pyrus communis, while highly resistant cultivars Chojuro and Nijisseiki from P. pyraster and Kieffer as interspecies hybrid P. communis × P. pyraster were included in this experiment and studied for the first time. Large differences in size and structure of the nectaries were observed in these seven pear cultivars. The epidermal cells were with cuticle being more or less striated in Alexander Lucas, Kieffer and Williams. Resistant cultivars had a narrow, elongated cell shape of epidermal cells while those susceptible had an isodiametric. Stomata were mesomorphic in all cultivars except in Poire de Cure and Williams, being slightly xeromorphic since they were situated in deep hollows. Guard cells of the modified stomata were much larger in resistant cultivars. Hypanthium cells were larger in resistant compared to susceptible cultivars. The most abundant sugars were glucose, fructose, sorbitol and sucrose in nectar of all studied pear cultivars. The resistant cultivars (Chojuro, Kieffer and Nijisseiki) had a ~2-fold higher level of sorbitol and galactose, ~2.2-fold higher isomaltose, ~2.7-fold turanose, ~3.35-fold maltose, ~4.4-fold melibiose and ~12.7-fold higher melesitose compared to susceptible cultivars. The sum of quantified phenolic acids varied from 0.049 (Williams) up to 4.074 µg CAE/mL (Kieffer), while flavonoid glycosides levels ranged from 1.224 (Williams) up to 11.686 µg RE/mL (Nijisseiki). In the nectar of the resistant cultivars, rutin, apigetrin, together with patuletin and luteolin glycosides were detected but not in susceptible cultivars, which could be considered as the markers of resist