Oxidative stress and methods used for hydroxyl radical determination

Understanding the role of oxidative stress in brain as well as developing medical strategies to reduce its damaging potential in the aging process and pathogenesis of cancer, neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s diseases and Parkinson’s diseases and other incurable illnesses is an important direction in medicine and biochemistry over the world. This review outlines the processes by which hROS may be formed, their damaging potential and determinations methods. Also, the questions upon the nature of reactive hROS in a Fenton (like) system plays a crucial role will be addressed on this part and several lines of evidences will be presented in order to clarify this issue. Highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (hROS) have been implicated in the etiology of many diseases, therefore monitoring of hROS should be extremely helpful to further investigate and understand the role of hROS in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders and to develop medical strategies to reduce the damaging potential of hROS. The very short half-life of OH• requires the use of trapping agents such as salicylic acid or phenylalanine for detection, but their hydroxylated derivatives are either unstable, or implicated as reactant in biochemical processes. Based on already successfully in vitro and in vivo work done in our group in the past two decades, we decided to use sodium terephthalic acid as a trapping agent, the hydroxylation of which yields only one stable and highly fluorescent isomer, 2-hydroxyterephthalate (OH-TA)

Determination of differences of ascorbic acid, sucrose and metals in potatoes, tomatoes and peppers in open fields and in greenhouses cultivated in two Kosovo’s regions

Intensity of food cultivation plays role on quantity and quality of nutrition content. To increase accuracy on nutrition intake is important to know the differences on nutrition content of vegetables cultivated in different areas and environments. The purpose of this research is to compare vegetables cultivated in two Kosovo regions, and those grown in greenhouses and on open fields, by measuring the amount of sucrose, ascorbic acid and metals. To determine those values we used Brix (0Bx) method and direct titration method and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The results shows that values of sucrose in tomatoes is approximately the same, non significante difference, in both regions. In peppers the value of sucrose in the open field is higher in Anamorava region by + 4.1 0Bx (Brix degree) comparing with Dukagjini region, and in the greenhouse Anamorava region is smaller -2.1 0Bx comparing with Dukagjini region (6.6 0Bx). While the brix degree (0Bx ) in potatoes on open field in Anamorava region is 2.6 0Bx higher than in Dukagjini region (4.4 0Bx). The value of ascorbic acid in tomatoes and peppers on the open field and in greenhouses in two regions are not significante. The imported potatoes compared with those cultivated in Dukagjini region have higher values of ascorbic acid for 34.95 mg, while the value of ascorbic acid of the imported peppers is for 221.883 mg higher than in Dukagjini region. The imported tomatoes have higher values, in ppm, of metals such are Ca (+6.12), Mg (+1.99), Zn (+0.27) and Fe, B, Pb, Mn and Cr comparing with cultivated ones in Kosovo, beside the Ni that has higher values for about 0.003. Peppers cultivated in Kosovo have higher values, in ppm, for Mg , Zn, Fe, Ni, B and Cr, and lower values for Ca, Cu, Pb and Mn, compared with imported ones. The results shows that such research are further needed to make a clear cut and increase accuracy effects of different intensity of cultivation methods and input applications on the quantity and quality of nutrients

New institutions for Kosovo, Agro-food chamber; the agro-chamber of Lower-Austria

Kosovo agro-food sector is facing many challenges, starting from low yield to the lack of market access. Even though having highest population density in southeastern Europe. Existing institutions are lacking to support agro-food sector to overcome challenges. Kosova is net agro-food importer for about 70%. In addition, much more serious for the Kosovo-agro-food sector is the complete input import dependence. Therefore, inadequate knowledge institutionalized, for decades along the chain, produced such situation and unlikely is able to overcome as such and to compete in the market. Such paradox situation needs instruments that trigger change to policymaking and decision-making, which offer opportunities and alternatives that overcome challenges and offer to the existing agro-food; i. to the supply side; compatible knowledge along the chain, to ease market access and ii. to the demand side safety and satisfaction. The case of Lower-Austria “Chamber of Agriculture” is an adequate example to replicate in Kosovo. A success story, how a social innovation, a new institution for Kosovo, used as instrument to overcome challenges and progress the agro-food sector

Consumers knowledge and awareness on food packaging materials and its risks in Prishtina region

Food packaging has many aims starting form-providing food to consumers and consumers in comfortable way to buy and eat, to protect food from microbiological, chemical and physical damage along providing necessary information to consumers and marketers and other actors about food content and origin. Along protection by packaging materials there is a risk of migration of some chemical compounds into food, which depends on various factors. However, not all costumers are aware of the importance of food packaging and the risk from the packaging materials. The purpose of this study was to investigate costumer’s knowledge and attitudes about food packaging and food packaging materials, in Prishtina region. The study used questionnaire survey, with closed questions with about 280 respondents by face-to-face interviewing, buying packaged foods in supermarkets and retail stores in Pristina. The research resulted that 45% of costumers in Pristina are not aware of the risk of food packaging. During shopping, most of costumers were attracted by and focused on the shape, design and color of the packaging and less on potential risks. Based on the results we conclude that promotion on food labeling and packaging awareness about potential risks should be strengthened

Sugars Play an Important Roles in Expiry Date, Aroma and Tast in Different Fermented Dairy Products

Sugars play an important role in metabolic processes in lives. However, different sugars transfer differently energy in different pathways. This differentiation makes a food product to have different test and to increase the quality of products. In another hands, lactic acid bacteria play an important role in production of lactic acid and aroma compounds in fermented food. The aim of this paper describes the growth rate and metabolic pathway of different products and bacteria when different sugars are added in products and bacteria. To explain this model Enterococcus faecalis is added in experiment and different sugars such as glucose, galactose, fructose, lactose, maltose, and sucrose. The experiment has been analysed by growing the culture for 24h and check the growth rate and analyse by high performance liquid chromatography. The result shows that glucose is the best metabolize sugars followed by fructose, sucrose, maltose, galactose, and lactose as a carbon source. While in energy transformation galactose and lactose transfer most of the energy to mixed acid fermentation compared to glucose and galactose which these energies it transfers into the homofermentative- fermentation. These results are ambitious results to apply and possibly to increase the expiry date of fermented products in dairy industries

Biological water pollution on the rivers Klina and Neredime, Kosovo

In this study, we provide the evidence of water pollution with the bacteria in two rivers in Kosovo. They are selected because of the similarity in length, source of pollution and both of them are protected by the law for nature heritage value. Kosovo has an environmental legislation in line with the European law and directives on water resources protection and water protection but this is not what’s happening in practice. Some areas which are declared as protected areas according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature: category I and V are not being protected from degrading. Physical, chemical and bacteriological analysis of river water shows us that they are highly contaminated with organic matter but also with bacteria. On most of the areas, pollution with heterotrophic bacteria was in very high level. Also the result s showed us that on most of these areas the fecal pollution was very high except for the first kilometers of the source. The Quality of the water is very bad and the ecological status of the rivers is bad as well. ter is very bad and the ecological status of the rivers is bad as well. ost of the areas, pollution with heterotrophic bacteria was in very high level. Also the result s showed us that on most of these areas the fecal pollution was very high except for the first kilometers of the source. The Quality of the water is very bad and the ecological status of the rivers is bad as well