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Growing mushrooms means meeting challenges while aiming for sustainability and circularity. Wherever the producer is located, commercial strains are the same originating from several producers. Customized strains adapted to local conditions are urgently needed. Before introducing new species to the strain development pipeline, the chemical characterization and biological activity of wild ones need to be assessed. Accordingly, the mycoceutical potential of five polypore mushroom species from Serbia was evaluated including: secondary metabolite composition, oxidative damage prevention, anti-tyrosinase, and anti-angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). The phenolic pattern was comparable in all samples, but the amounts of specific chemicals varied. Hydroxybenzoic acids were the primary components. All samples had varying quantities of ascorbic acid, carotene, and lycopene, and showed a pronounced inhibition of lipid peroxidation (LPx) and ability to scavenge HO•. Extracts were more potent tyrosinase inhibitors but unsuccessful when faced with ACE. Fomitopsis pinicola had the strongest anti-tumor efficacy while Ganoderma lucidum demonstrated strong selectivity in anti-tumor effect in comparison to normal cells. The evaluated species provided a solid foundation for commercial development while keeping local ecology in mind.

Mefentriflukonazol je nova aktivna supstanca sa fungicidnim delovanjem, koja pripada izopropanol azolima, novoj podgrupi u okviru hemijske grupe triazola. Inhibira biosintezu sterola i odlikuje se veoma selektivnim delovanjem. Sistemični je fungicid sa protektivnim, kurativnim i eradikativnim delovanjem i koristi se za suzbijanje značajnih patogena strnih žita (Septoria spp., Puccinia spp., Ramularia collo-cygni, Rhynchosporium secalis). Za razliku od većine triazola, povučenih iz primene u poslednje 2-3 godine, uglavnom zbog repro-toksičnog i karcinogenog delovanja, mefentriflukonazol ne deluje karcinogeno, genotoksično ni reprotoksično. Takođe, nije akutno toksičan, ne iritira kožu i oči i ne izaziva specifičnu toksičnost za ciljne organe posle jednokratne ili višekratne izloženosti. U dodiru sa kožom može izazvati senzibilizaciju i to je jedino toksikološko svojstvo na osnovu koga je klasifikovan i obeležen. Akutna i hronična dijetarna izloženost svih populacionih grupa ovoj aktivnoj supstanci je niska, sa velikom marginom bezbednosti. Mefentriflukonazol nije akutno oralno i kontakt-no toksičan za pčele i nije toksičan za kišne gliste. Za akvatične organizme, ribe, beskičmenjake i alge je veoma toksičan akutno i hronično, dok je za organizme sedimenta i akvatične makrofite toksičan. Povoljna toksikološka svojstva mefen-triflukonazola i dobra efikasnost preporučuju ovu aktivnu supstancu kao dobru zamenu za triazole povučene iz primene., Mefentrifluconazole is a new fungicidal active substance from the isopropanol-azoles, a new sub-class of triazoles. It inhibits sterols biosynthesis and is a very selective fungicide. It is a systemic fungicide with protective, curative, and eradicative activity. Its spectrum includes important pathogens of cereals (Septoria spp., Puccinia spp., Ramularia collo-cygni, Rhynchosporium secalis). Unlike most triazoles, withdrawn from use in the last 2-3 years, mainly due to reprotoxic and carcinogenic effects, mefentrifluconazole is neither carcinogenic, nor genotoxic or reprotoxic. In adition, it is not acutely toxic, is not irritant to skin or eyes and does not cause specific toxicity to target organs after single or repeated exposure. In contact with the skin, it can cause sensitization, and this is the only toxicological property on the basis of which it is classified and labeled. Acute and chronic dietary exposure of all population groups to this active substance is low, with a large margin of safety. Mefentrifluconazole is not acutely toxic to bees and earthworms. It is very toxic acutely and chronically for aquatic organisms, fish, invertebrates, and algae, while it is toxic for sediment organisms and aquatic macrophytes. The favourable toxicological properties of mefentrifluconazole, and good efficacy in control of important pathogens, recommend this active substance as a good substitute for withdrawn triazoles.

S-metolachlor is one of the most frequently used herbicides worldwide. However, toxicity studies of this herbicide to aquatic organisms are scarce. In the present study, two experiments were conducted to test the effects of S-metolachlor on common carp, one of the most economically important fish species, with a distribution throughout the world: (1) 96 h acute semi-static toxicity test, aiming to determine LC50; (2) a subchronic semi-static test that lasted 28 days, in which juvenile carp were exposed to 3%, 8%, and 25% of previously determined LC50—0.5 mg·L−1, 1.4 mg·L−1, and 4.1 mg·L−1, respectively. Several biomarkers were employed to assess fish responses to toxicants. Blood biochemistry analysis and nuclear alterations of erythrocytes did not show any difference among experimental groups. Semi-quantitative histopathological analysis revealed mild alterations in the gills and liver, where oedema of secondary epithelium of gills and leukocyte infiltration in liver were significantly higher in fish exposed to 1.4 mg·L−1 and 4.1 mg·L−1. Histopathological indices in liver, as well as the total histopathological index, also showed significantly higher scores in the same groups. Bioconcentration factors of S-metolachlor ranged from 3.2 to 9.4, depending on the experimental group.

Growing mushrooms is meeting challenges while aiming for sustainability and circularity. Wherever the producer is located, commercial strains are the same originating from several producers. Following the harvest, enormous quantities of spent mushroom substrate containing spores are disposed presenting a type of foreign material pressure on the ecosystem in the form of the loss of genetic diversity in wild mushroom populations. This challenge can be mitigated by bioprospecting local strains and using them to generate commercial inoculum. Accordingly, the mycoceutical potential of five polypore mushroom species from Serbia was evaluated: secondary metabolite composition, oxidative damage prevention, anti-tyrosinase, and antiangiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) properties. The phenolic pattern was comparable in all samples, but the amounts of specific chemicals varied. Hydroxybenzoic acids were the primary components. All samples had varying quantities of ascorbic acid, carotene, and lycopene, and showed a pronounced inhibition of lipid peroxidation (LPx) and ability to scavenge HO•. Extracts were more potent tyrosinase inhibitors but unsuccessful when faced with ACE. Fomitopsis pinicola had the strongest anti-tumor efficacy while Ganoderma lucidum demonstrated strong selectivity in anti-tumor effect in comparison to healthy cells. The evaluated species provided a solid foundation for commercial development while keeping the local ecology in mind.

Growing mushrooms is meeting challenges while aiming for sustainability and circularity. Wherever the producer is located, commercial strains are the same originating from several producers. Following the harvest, enormous quantities of spent mushroom substrate containing spores are disposed presenting a type of foreign material pressure on the ecosystem in the form of the loss of genetic diversity in wild mushroom populations. This challenge can be mitigated by bioprospecting local strains and using them to generate commercial inoculum. Accordingly, the mycoceutical potential of five polypore mushroom species from Serbia was evaluated: secondary metabolite composition, oxidative damage prevention, anti-tyrosinase, and antiangiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) properties. The phenolic pattern was comparable in all samples, but the amounts of specific chemicals varied. Hydroxybenzoic acids were the primary components. All samples had varying quantities of ascorbic acid, carotene, and lycopene, and showed a pronounced inhibition of lipid peroxidation (LPx) and ability to scavenge HO•. Extracts were more potent tyrosinase inhibitors but unsuccessful when faced with ACE. Fomitopsis pinicola had the strongest anti-tumor efficacy while Ganoderma lucidum demonstrated strong selectivity in anti-tumor effect in comparison to healthy cells. The evaluated species provided a solid foundation for commercial development while keeping the local ecology in mind.

This study investigated the effectiveness of the ultraviolet irradiation of the C region (UV–C) for the decontamination of Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on artificially inoculated maize and peanut using innovative decontamination equipment that supports vibrations to achieve semi-fluidization of the grain/kernel material and getting equal irradiation of all surfaces of irradiated foods. UV irradiation is a non-thermal alternative to thermal processes commonly used in food processing with a well-known effect on AFB1 degradation. Samples of maize and peanut were exposed to UV-C irradiation with a total dose in the range of 1080–8370 mJ/cm2. Analysis by Tracker and ImageJ software confirmed the even distribution of irradiation on all surfaces during the entire duration of exposure. The highest reduction of A. flavus count was observed after ten days of incubation and irradiation treatment delivering a dose of 8370 mJ/cm2 achieving A. flavus count reduction of 4.4 log CFU/g in maize and 3.1 log CFU/g in peanut. Depending on the treatment, AFB1 reduction level in maize ranged from 17 to 43% and in peanut ranged from 14 to 51%. Sensory and physical testing of the peanut samples showed only minimal changes in the evaluated characteristics caused by different levels of the UV-C treatment. Presented results demonstrate a potential for the use of the presented approach as an effective reduction strategy for both A. flavus and AFB1 in maize and peanut.

Research background. Inulinases are used for fructooligosaccharide production and they are of interest for both scientific community and industry. Black aspergilli represent a diverse group of species that has use for enzyme production, in particular some species are known as potent inulinase producers. Finding new potential producers from the environment is as important as improving the production with known strains. Safe use of enzymes produced by aspergilli in food industry is placed ahead of their benefit for inulinase production. Experimental approach. Here we show a specific approach to finding/screening of newly isolated fungal inulinase producers that combines a newly developed screening method and an equally important assessment of the toxigenic potential of the fungus. In this study 39 black aspergilli collected from different substrates in Serbia were identified and assessed for inulinase production. Results and conclusions. The most common species were Aspergillus tubingensis (51.2 %), followed by A. niger (23.1 %), A. welwitschiae (23.1 %) and A. uvarum (2.6 %). The isolates for inulinase production were selected using a cheap and easy, fast and non-hazardous alternative inulinase screening test developed in this work. Enzymatic activity of selected inulinase-producing strains was confirmed spectrophotometrically. Since some A. niger and A. welwitschiae strains are able to produce mycotoxins ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisins (FB), the toxigenic potential of selected inulinase producers was assessed analytically and genetically. Fungal enzyme producer can be considered safe for use in food industry only after comparing the results of both approaches for investigating toxic potential, the direct presence of mycotoxins in the enzyme preparation (analytically) and the presence of mycotoxin gene clusters (genetically). In some strains the absence of OTA and FB production capability was molecularly confirmed by the absence of complete or critical parts of bio

The aim of the current research was to determine the content of (potentially) toxic elements and insecticide residues in monofloral sunflower bee-collected pollen. For micro- and trace elements determination Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission (ICP-OES) analytical method was used while insecticide residue content was monitored by applying Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique. In total, seventeen micro/trace elements were quantified. None of the twenty four examined insecticides were detected above the limit of detection (LOD) which makes studied sunflower bee-collected pollen eco-friendly both to bees and humans. Based on presence of several toxic as well as potentially toxic elements calculations for estimated weekly intakes (EWI), and oral intakes (OI) were made and used for health risk assessment based on the computation of two different health risk quotients (HQ)- acute (HQA) and long-term (HQL). The obtained results proved that all HQ values for adults were negligible or low except in case of HQL value for arsenic (0.32) which can be characterized as medium. However, in case of children much more precaution is needed due to significant HQL risk for arsenic (1.511). The attained data can help to make additional linkage between bee-collected pollen as food ingredients and potential benefits/risks for human health.

The current study intended to determine, for the first time, phenolic and fatty acid profile, antioxidant and certain nutritional properties of monofloral bee-collected artichoke (Cynara scolymus) pollen. Based on UHPLC-DAD MS-MS analysis the main phenolics in extractable fraction were different flavonol glycosides (in particular Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside, 49.2 mg/kg of dry weight) while ferulic acid was the predominant phenolic compound (39.4 mg/kg of dry weight) in the alkaline hydrolyzable fraction. Among fatty acids (FAs), results of GC-FID analysis revealed prevalence of unsaturated FAs with cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and oleic acid as the main ones- 28.4% and 24.9%, respectively. Based on the FA composition, nutritional analysis proved that artichoke bee-collected pollen had balanced ω-6 and ω-3 FAs content. To determine the antioxidant properties of pollen, five different assays were applied. It was proved that bioactive compounds in artichoke pollen possessed significant ability to quench DPPH radical as well as ABTS radical cation. In addition, in vitro phosphomolybdenum assay confirmed that artichoke pollen is an excellent source of different antioxidants. Pollen extracts exhibited moderate ferric reducing power as well as low ferrous chelating ability. Some further antioxidant studies (preferably in vivo) should be performed to confirm the observed results.

Kvaliteta mlijeka igra ključnu ulogu u širokoj potrošnji, ali i u sudjelovanju u velikom nizu derivata, kao što su jogurt, sir, maslac i sladoled. Utvrđena je učinkovita LC-MS/MS metoda za određivanje 81 različitog ostatka pesticida u uzorcima mlijeka. Analize su obuhvatile 44 uzorka mlijeka prikupljenih tijekom 2019. godine. Od svih pregledanih pesticida u 2,27 % analiziranih uzoraka otkriveni su samo metalaksil (prisutan u 11,36 % uzoraka), bifentrin i metolaklor (9,09 %), dimetoat (4,55 %), prokloraz i tiakloprid. Detekcije trifloksistrobina i bifentrina bile su iznad maksimalnih razina ostataka (MRL). Uredba Evropske komisije (EU) 2017/1135 standardizira MRL za dimetoat i ometoat u određenim proizvodima, ali nije utvrđena MRL za ostatke dimetoata u mlijeku. Svi ostali pesticida bila su ispod granica MRL-a., Quality of milk plays a key role in its wide consumption but also of its involvement in a large series of derived products, such as yogurt, cheese, butter, and ice cream. An effective LC-MS/MS method has been validated for the determination of 81 different pesticide residues in milk samples. The analyses comprised 44 milk samples collected during 2019. From all inspected pesticides, only metalaxyl (present in 11.36% samples), bifenthrin and metolachlor (9.09%), dimethoate (4.55%), prochloraz and thiacloprid were detected in 2.27% of analysed samples. The detections of trifloxystrobin and bifenthrin were above the maximum residue levels (MRLs). The Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1135 standardizes the MRLs for dimethoate and omethoate in certain products, but a MRL for dimethoate residues in milk has not been established jet. All the other pesticide detections were below the MRLs.

Several cover crops (CCs) exert allelopathic effects that suppress weed growth. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of aqueous extracts containing different concentrations [0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% (w/v)] of Brassicaceae CCs (Sinapis alba, Raphanus sativus, Camellina sativa) and of the CCs Fagopyrum esculentum and Guizotia abyssinica on germination and early growth of Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. The allelopathic effects were species and concentration-dependent. C. sativa, for example, caused the greatest potential to inhibit germination, shoot, radicle length and fresh seedling weight, whereas S. alba and R. sativus inhibited germination and early growth of A. artemisiifolia only at concentrations ≥ 7.5%. In contrast, no inhibition was observed when aqueous extracts of F. escultneum and G. abyssinica were added at any of tested concentration. Liquid chro-matography-tandem mass spectrometry detected 15 phenolic compounds in Brassicaceae CCs with the highest content (µg/g) of vanillin (48.8), chlorogenic acid (1057), vanilic acid (79), caffeic acid (102.5) and syringic acid (27.3) in C. sativa. Our results suggest that C. sativa is the most allelopathic CCs and that the fruits of C. sativa are the plant organs richest in allelochemicals.

The subject of this research work is to determine the recoveries of the studied analytes from the chemical group of phenylurea: isoproturon, diuron and linuron, depending on the physical- chemical soil properties within the validation of multi-residual method for the determination of the herbicide residues in soil by (LC-MS/MS) after QuEChERS extraction of spiked soil samples. The factorial ANOVA did not show any statistical significances regarding the influence of the paired values of different pesticides and soil types. The same result was obtained by the one-way ANOVA calculated for different soil types (ps=0.151060 for p˂0.05) and different pesticides (pp=0.165207 for p˂0.05) regarding the values of average recoveries. Fishers LSD post hoc test emphasized the homogenity and similarity among average recovery values in both cases.

The aim of this study was to determine fatty acid and soluble sugar profiles of the grape seed flour originated from non-fermented dried pomace of international and autochthonous grape varieties in order to estimate their potential nutritional value. The grape seed flours were obtained from the grapes harvested in technological maturity. It has been shown that grape seed flours contained significant quantities of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), especially linoleic fatty acids, whose content ranged from 61.15 - 83.47 %. Oleic acid mostly contributed to the content of monounsaturated fatty acids, while the stearic acid was the most abundant saturated fatty acid (SFA). Among polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly ω-6 FAs, were the most represented. The tested grape seed flours had the high UFA/SFA ratio (3.63-11.09), low atherogenicity (0.04-0.13) and thrombogenicity (0.16-0.47) indices. Fifteen different sugars were found in analysed samples with the total concentration ranging from 40588 to 91319 mg/kg seed with fructose and glucose as the most abundant. Principal component analysis based on the content of FAs and soluble sugars revealed unique composition of the seed flour of Prokupac variety. These findings indicate that the tested grape seed flours is a good source of nutritionally valuable FAs and sugars that can play an important role in the formulation of a new functional food products.

The aim of this study was to investigate the bioaccessibility of pesticide residues in blueberries (com-mercial and sample from controlled field trial) from Serbia, involving the presence of a complex food matrix and to assess the potential risk to human health. The presence of nine active substances (azox-ystrobin, boscalid, fludioxonil, cyprodinil, pyrimethanil, pyridaben, pyriproxyfen, acetamiprid and thia-metoxam) in initial blueberry samples was determined in concentration range from 5.15 mu g/kg for thiametoxam to 187 mu g/kg for azoxystrobin. Clothianidin, metabolite of thiametoxam, was not detected in any blueberry sample. However, after in vitro digestion, the content of initially detected pesticides residues was significantly decreased or it was below limit of quantification resulting in the total bio-accessibility of about 15%. Azoxystrobin, pyrimethanil and fludioxonil was quantified in digestive juice at concentrations which were about 81%, 37% and 10% less than the inital concentration, respectively. The presence of food matrix during digestion of blueberries even more severely reduced concentration of pesticide residues (total bioaccessibility was about 7%) compared to digestion without the food matrix. Only azoxystrobin was quantified after digestion with food matrix in concentration of 27 mu g/kg in sample from controlled field trial and detected in two commercial samples but below the limit of quantification. Furthermore, chronic risk assessment indicated that risk is acceptable for the health of different human subpopulation groups. The current study on pesticides residues, most commonly applied on blueberries, provides for the first time an insight into their bioaccessibility under conditions that mimic physiological environment of human digestive tract.

Rosehip seeds represent waste material which is obtained duringthe production of jams, marmalades, juices, teas, etc. Two methods were used forthe extraction of fatty acids from rosehip seeds: ultrasound-assisted extractioncombined with organic solvent extraction (UAE/OSCE) and organic solventconventional extraction (OSCE). Different solvent-to-sample ratio was used. Theidentification and quantitation of fatty acids was done by gas chromatography witha flame ionization detector (GC/FID). Applied methods yielded different types offatty acids, with stearic acid and linoleic acid, as the most abundant ones., Semenke šipurka predstavljaju otpadni materijal, bogat uljem, koji nastaje tokom proizvodnje džemova, marmelada, sokova, čajeva itd. Za ekstrakciju masnih kiselina iz semenki šipurka korišćene su dve metode: ultrazvučna ekstrakcija u kombinaciji sa ekstrakcijom organskim rastvaračem (UZE/KEOR)i konvencionalna ekstrakcija organskim rastvaračem (KEOR). Korišćeni su različiti odnosi zapremine rastvarača i mase uzoraka. Identifikacija i kvantifikacija masnih kiselina izvršena je metodom gasne hromatografije sa plameno-jonizujućim detektorom (GC/FID). Primenjenim ekstrakcionim metodama dobijene su različite masne kiseline, od kojih su stearinska i linolna bile najzastupljenije.

Rosehip is a pseudo-fruit of the rose plant, one of the most widespread wild species of the Rosa genus in Serbia. Due to its nutritional and sensory properties, rosehip is widely utilized for the production of jams, marmalades, juices, teas, etc. On the other hand, rosehip seeds are waste material from the food industry, which represent are rich source of fatty acids. The aim of this study was to assess the fatty acids profile of rosehip seeds by applying two extraction methods: ultrasound-assisted extraction combined with organic solvent extraction (UAE/OSCE) and organic solvent conventional extraction (OSCE). The identification and quantification of fatty acids (FA), in the form of methyl esters, were performed by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC/FID). Based on the obtained results, it was observed that the composition of fatty acids and their relative amounts were influenced by the applied method, as well as by the solvent-to-sample ratio. The analysis revealed the presence of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) as the dominant ones in most studied samples, whereas the most abundant fatty acids were, in descending order, stearic acid (48.11%), linoleic acid (35.38%), palmitoleic acid (33.78%) and eicosadienoic acid (30.57%)., Šipurak je pseudo-plod biljke ruže, jedne od najrasprostranjenijih divljih vrsta iz roda Rosa u Srbiji. Zahvaljujući nutritivnim i senzornim svojstvima, šipurak ima široku primenu u proizvodnji džemova, marmelada, sokova, čajeva itd. Semenke šipurka su otpadni materijal u prehrambenoj industriji koji predstavlja dobar izvor masnih kiselina. Cilj ovog rada bio je da se proceni profil masnih kiselina u semenkama šipurka primenom dve metode ekstrakcije: ultrazvučne ekstrakcije u kombinaciji sa ekstrakcijom organskim rastvaračem (UZE/KEOR) i konvencionalne ekstrakcije organskim rastvaračem (KEOR). Identifikacija masnih kiselina (MK), u formi metil estara, izvršena je metodom gasne hromatografije sa plameno-jonizujućim detektorom (GC/FID). Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata, uočeno je da su primenjene metode ekstrakcije, kao i odnos rastvarača i mase uzorka, imali uticaj na sastav masnih kiselina i njihovu relativnu obilnost. Nezasićene masne kiseline (NMK) identifikovane su kao dominantne u većini ispitivanih uzoraka. Najzastupljenije masne kiseline su bile stearinska (48,11%), linolna (35,38%), palmitoleinska (33,78%) i eikosadienoinska kiselina (30,57%).

This study deals with fatty acid profiles and mineral contents of traditional Serbian white cheeses in brine. Study covered four Serbian traditional white brined cheeses: Zlatar cheese, Sjenica cheese, Svrljig cheese and Homolje cheese prepared from raw cow and ovine milk. Fatty acid profiles of traditional cheeses were qualitatively and quantitatively different. The content of saturated fatty acids was in the range of 65.97 %-76.61 % (cow cheeses) and 69.68 %-74.52 % (ovine cheeses). Unsaturated fatty acids range of cow and ovine cheeses was 23.39 %-34.03 % and 25.48 %-30.08 %, respectively. Depending on the type of cheese, the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids was 1.66 %-11.03 %. The lowest content of saturated fatty acids was observed in Sjenica cow cheeses. Thus, this type of traditional cheeses had the most favorable health indices including atherogenicity index (1.89), thrombogenicity index (1.37) and desirable fatty acid ratio (46.34 %). Mineral content of traditional cheeses was also different. The ratio Ca:P was in the range of 0.70-1.33. The highest level of Ca, P, K, Mg, Zn, Cu and Cr was detected in Sjenica cheeses prepared from cow milk. The absence of Cd was observed in all cheeses.

The aim of this work was to identify and quantify fatty acids presented in pollen samples collected from six different Serbian maize hybrids by GC capillary method. Due to great importance of fatty acids as food component potential nutritional value of maize pollen as food supplement in human diet was determined. It has been shown that pollen is a great source of different fatty acids, especially unsaturated fatty acids. In total, twenty eight fatty acids were quantify - the most abundant saturated FAs were palmitic and henicosanoic acid; the most prevalent monounsaturated FAs were oleic, elaidic and cis-10-heptadecenoic acid. Linoleic and cis-11,14-eicosadienoic acid were the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid. Also, it was found that FAs composition was significantly influenced by the type of maize hybrids. According to nutritional recommendations, four of six pollen samples had good nutritional quality with unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio higher than 1.6, but there is unsatisfied distribution of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids as the most important type of unsaturated fatty acids.