Characteristics of Phomopsis sp. isolates of plum trees origin

Twelve isolates of Phomopsis sp. were obtained from the branches and the trunk of plums (Prunus domestica L) with decay symptoms in Valjevo, Ljig Koceljeva and Ub vicinity during 2004-2006. Morphological, pathogenic and growing characteristics were studied. Pathogen caused tissue necrosis of branches around the inoculate seats, and wrinkling and watering of plum fruits. All media were suitable for pathogen development, except prune agar. The best growth of isolates was at medium pH 5,5. The optimal temperature for growth and germination of pycnidiospores was 25°C

Antifungal activity of indigenous bacillus sp. isolate Q3 against marshmallow mycobiota

Marshmallow is a host of a number of saprophytic and parasitic fungi in Serbia. The seeds of marshmallow are contaminated with fungi from different genera, especially Alternaria and Fusarium, which significantly reduced seed germination and caused seedling decay. In this study we investigate antagnonism of indigenous Bacillus sp. isolate Q3 against marshmallow mycopopulation. Bacillus sp. Q3 was isolated from maize rhizosphere, characterized by polyphasic approch and tested for plant growth promoting treats. Bacillus sp. Q3 produced antifungal metabolites with growth inhibition activity against numerous fungi in dual culture: 61.8% of Alternaria alternata, 74.8% of Myrothecium verrucaria and 33.6% of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. That effect could be caused by different antifungal metabolites including siderophores, hydrolytic enzymes, organic acids and indole acetic acid (IAA). Suppression of natural marshmallow seed infection by Q3 isolate was observed. The seeds were immersed in different concentrations of bacterial suspension during 2h and their infections by phytopathogenic fungi were estimated. The results showed significant reduction of seed infection by Alternaria spp. The presented results indicate possible application of this isolate as promising biological agent for control of marshmallow seed pathogenic fungi

Dietary Exposure and Risk Assessment of Aflatoxin M1 for Children Aged 1 to 9 Years Old in Serbia

The present study was conducted to estimate the exposure and characterize the risk for the child population of Serbia to Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) from milk and milk-based food. A total of 3404 samples comprising milk and different milk-based food samples were collected from various regions of Serbia from 2017 to 2019. Evaluation of AFM1 exposure was carried out using the deterministic method, whereas risk characterization was evaluated using the margin of exposure (MOE) and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Detection rates for AFM1 in milk and milk-based food samples ranged between 2% and 79%, with the highest incidence (79%) and mean level (22.34 ± 0.018 ng kg−1) of AFM1 being detected in pasteurized and UHT milk. According to the three consumption estimates, the values of estimated daily intake (EDI) were higher for toddlers as compared with children aged 3–9 years. Children aged 1–3 years had the highest risk of exposure to AFM1 in milk, with an estimated daily intake of 0.164 and 0.193 ng kg−1 bw day−1 using lower bound (LB) and upper bound (UB) exposure scenarios, respectively. Such difference could result from the higher consumption to weight in younger children. Based on the estimated daily intake (EDI) found in this study, the risk of AFM1 exposure due to consumption of milk and milk-based food was low since the MOE values obtained were >10,000. In addition, the risk of HCC cases/year/105 individuals of different age groups showed that the value of HCC, using potency estimates of 0.0017 (mean), was maximum (0.00034) in the age group 1–3 years, which indicates no health risk for the evaluated groups. The present study revealed the importance of controlling and preventing AFM1 contamination in milk through continuous monitoring and regular inspection to reduce the risk of AFM1 exposure, especially in children

CANNED MEAT PRODUCTS FOR MEMBERS OF THE SERBIAN ARMED FORCES: Na, K, Ca, AND Mg CONTENT AND HEALTH RISKS/BENEFITS

Macroelements such as Na, K, Ca, and Mg play a significant physiological role, and their inadequate intake has been linked to severe diseases, such as high blood pressure. Data on risk assessment for human health in Serbia, from the intake of these macroelements through the consumption of canned food, are minimal. Therefore, the content of Na, K, Ca, and Mg in five types of canned meat that members of the Serbian Armed Forces regularly use was examined. Macroelements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in cans of beef goulash, pork ragout, spam, liver pate, and meatballs in tomato sauce, which were stored from one month to six years. The sodium content was significantly higher than the potassium content in all types of food, so the Na/K ratio below 1, desirable for good health, was not found in any of the analyzed products. Also, a significant number of samples had an unfavorable Ca/Mg ratio above 1. However, due to the low consumption of canned food by members of the Serbian Armed Forces, its contribution to the average daily intake of macroelements is almost negligible. The concentration of macroelements decreased with the shelf life, while a significant source of Ka and Mg, among analyzed ingredients, was ground red pepper. © 2022 University of Belgrade - Faculty of Agriculture. All Rights Reserved

Gibberella zeae na semenu kantariona u Srbiji

Gibberella zeae (anamorph Fusarium graminearum) was determined on seed of St. John's wort produced in localities Pančevo, Gorobilje and Kačarevo during 2008 and 2009. Morphological characteristics of monosporial isolates were described. All tested isolates formed in vitro perithecia, and were classified as F. graminearum (syn. F. graminearum Group 2). Pathogenicity was confirmed by the artificial inoculation of St. John's wort seed.Ispitivanjem zdravstvenog stanja semena kantariona iz kolekcije Instituta za proučavanje lekovitog bilja 'Dr Josif Pančić' proizvedenog tokom 2008. i 2009. godine u lokalitetima Pančevo, Gorobilje i Kačarevo, prvi put je u Srbiji utvrđeno prisustvo vrste Gibberella zeae (anamorf Fusarium graminearum). Ova vrsta je identifikovana na osnovu makroskopskih i mikroskopskih osobina dobijenih monospornih izolata. Svi ispitivani izolati su u in vitro uslovima formirali peritecije, te su na osnovu ovog i drugih osobina identifikovani kao F. graminearum (syn. F. graminearum Grupa 2). Patogenost je potvrđena pojavom nekroze klijanaca nakon inokulacije semena kanatariona

Benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and chrysene in smoked meat and smoked meat products: Validation of the method

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are products of the incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organic material and they are among the most harmful compounds. During process of meat smoking, wood combustion is one of the most important sources of PAH compounds, which can be adsorbed by the surface of meat. The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) recommended to the member states of European Union to use the sum of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benz[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF) and chrysene (CHR), (PAH4 compounds), as a marker for the occurrence and impact of carcinogenic PAHs in food, instead of benzo[a]pyrene. The maximum content of BaP and sum of all four compounds (PAH4) has been established by European Commission Regulation No. 835/2011. For smoked foods, from 1st September 2014, the maximum BaP content was lowered to 2 μg/kg, while the content of PAH4 is allowed to 12 μg/kg. The new maximum residue limits (MRL) both for BaP and sum of PAH4 compounds in smoked meat and meat products were defined by the legislation of Serbia, as well, and it is in accordance with EU regulation. The aim of this paper was the validation of the method for identification and determination of benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene, benz[a]anthracene and benzo[b]fluoranthene in smoked meat and smoked meat products. Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) was used for extraction of lipids and lipophilic compounds. Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) was used in order to remove lipids from analysed samples. High-performance liquid chromatographic with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FL) was applied for identification and quantification of PAH4 compounds. Fluorescence detector operated at excitation/emission wavelength 275/385 nm for BaA and CHR, 256/446 nm for BbF and 260/410 nm for BaP, respectively. On the base of experimental results it is possible to conclude as follows: The in-house validation procedure of the method meets all criteria (applicability, specificity, repeatability, reproducibility, recovery, LOD and LOQ) set out by EU Regulation No. 836/2011. The method is suitable for operative control of PAH4 content in smoked meat products. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 46009

Prospective analysis of gait characteristics in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a disorder that may lead to functional impairment, including gait abnormalities. Our aim was to analyze gait characteristics in patients with CIDP compared to healthy controls (HC). Moreover, we sought to determine changes of gait parameters after six-month follow-up period. Twenty-four patients with CIDP and 24 HCs performed basic walking task, dual-motor task, dual-mental task, and combined task using the same GAITRite system. Lower limb MRC-SS and lower limb INCAT disability score were assessed. Fourteen patients were retested after six months. Majority of gait parameters showed significant differences in all experimental conditions when compared between CIDP and HCs. The most consistent findings in CIDP were shorter stride length (SL), prolonged cycle time (CT) and double support time (DS), as well as increased variation of SL and of swing time (ST) (p lt 0.05). During follow-up, INCAT improved in nine (64.3%) of 14 patients and MRC-SS improved in eight (57.1%) patients. Six-month changes of CT and its variation during combined task significantly differentiated patients with improved vs. non-improved INCAT (p lt 0.05). In conclusion, patients with CIDP had slower gait with prolonged DS and with shorter SL compared to HCs. Increased variation of SL and of ST in CIDP may suggest a potential risk for instability and falls. Shorter CT duration and less CT variation during time correlated well with improvement in disability

Sport-Specific Warm-Up Attenuates Static Stretching-Induced Negative Effects on Vertical Jump But Not Neuromuscular Excitability in Basketball Players

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of static stretching (SS) and dynamic stretching (DS), alone and in combination with specific basketball warm-up (SBWU), on the neuromuscular excitability and vertical jump height in basketball players. Twelve healthy young male basketball players participated in the study (18 +/- 0.42 years; 17.4 - 18.6 age range; 188 +/- 9 cm; 76.5 +/- 9 kg). All participants completed two different stretching treatments (static and dynamic), performed on different days at least seven days apart, in the same period of training microcycle, in a counterbalanced order. Each session consisted of a self-paced jogging warm-up, followed by a 10-minute testing period (T0), which involved eliciting H reflex and M waves, followed by three trials of a vertical jump test. Participants then performed one of the treatment protocols. After another test (T1), participants conducted 8-minute specific basketball warm-up and then one more test (T2). Combined 3 (time) x 2 (stretching protocol) analysis of variance with repeated measures on both factors revealed that SS significantly decreased spinal excitability (H/M ratio) (p = 0.015, d = -0.38, percentage of change = -20.55%) and vertical jump height (p = 0.007, d = -1.91, percentage of change = -2.6%), but after SBWU, vertical jump height increased (p = 0.006, d = 1.13, percentage of change = 3.01%), while H/M ratio continued decreasing (p = 0.019, d = -0.45, percentage of change = -30.23%). Acute effects of DS, alone and in combination with SBWU were not significant. It seems that SBWU attenuates negative acute effects of SS on vertical jump performance in young basketball players, while DS appears to cause no significant acute effect for this population

Effects of Carbonation on the Microporosity and Macro Properties of Portland Cement Mortar CEM I

The aim of this work was to examine the microstructural changes of CEM I standardised cement mortar caused by accelerated carbonation (20 % CO2 concentration) using porosity accessible to water and nitrogen adsorption. The conflicted results obtained by these two techniques showed the differences in porous domains explored, while the pore size distributions calculated from ni-trogen adsorption provided evolution of the micro and meso pores during carbonation. The po-rosity accessible to water showed changes in all three porous domains: macro, meso and micro pores. This is because of difference in the molecular sizes between water and nitrogen molecules. Although these two techniques are different, they help to complementarily evaluate the effects of carbonation. The results also indicated the influence of type of cement on microstructural evolu-tions and the correlation between variations of mesopores volume and specific surface area. Changes in microstructure induce changes in macroscopic properties that we also examined such as the solid phase volume using helium pycnometry, the gas permeability, the thermal conductiv