IMPACT OF DIFFERENT AMARANTHACEAE EXTRACTS ON THE BIOFILM-FORMING CAPACITY OF SEVERAL BACTERIAL PATHOGENS

Amaranthaceae Juss. family encompasses many edible plants with prominent biological activity. This investigation tested the bioactive properties of ethanolic and methanolic extract of three well-known species: spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), chard (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris), and orache (Atriplex hortensis L.) through the determination of total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial properties. The particular goal was to evaluate the antibiofilm potential of extracts and to demarcate concentration-depending changes in the biofilm-forming category of included bacterial strains. The mass of the chard and orache methanolic extracts gained by maceration are lower in comparison to the mass of ethanolic extracts obtained by the Soxhlet method. In the case of spinach, the results are the opposite. All extracts have an antiradical activity that can be attributed to the established amounts of phenols and flavonoids. Total phenolics in dry leaves ranged from 0.09 to 0.44 mg GAE/g dw, and total flavonoids from 0.42 to 1.9 mg RTE/g dw. All investigated extracts performed inhibitory potential in terms of bacterial growth, while there was no bactericidal effect observed. Values of the minimum inhibitory concentration ranged from 125 µg/ml to 500 µg/ml. Overall results suggested orache extracts as the strongest inhibitory agents. Antibiofilm assays showed that examined extracts of spinach, chard, and orache caused changes in the biofilm-forming capacity of investigated bacterial pathogens. Fluctuations in observed biofilm-forming categories after application of extracts were concentration-dependent.

Synthesis of green nano sorbents for simultaneous preconcentration and recovery of heavy metals from water

The wastewater containing Cd, Co, Fe, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni and Pb ions are as trace metal pollutants. Water pollution caused by increment in industrialization and overpopulation reveals a major threat to human health. Adsorption is recognized as the effective and optimum method to remove water contaminations. The amorphous and porous form of silicon dioxide is silica gel widely used as an adsorbent. It can absorb moisture with traces of the target heavy metal ions. This research elaborates a simplistic, and reliable preconcentration column method highly developed for the determination of Cd²⁺, Fe³⁺, Co²⁺, Cr³⁺, Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions in model solutions and real water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The proposed operation depends on the retention of the target ions from buffered model solutions on a silica gel filled up a column modified with vanadium(V) oxide sorbent followed by their desorption. SiO₂/V₂O₅ is an efficient adsorbent due to its low cost, eco-friendly and high availability. The adsorbent morphological and interfacial physicochemical characterization was done using scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The 2.92 value achieved for the point of zero charges supports the experimentation for the heavy metal efficient adsorption. Quantitative recoveries were achieved at pH 10 with 50 mg of SiO₂/V₂O₅ mass and adsorption capacity ranged from 28.96 μmol/g (Pb) to 214.86 μmol/g (Fe) with 1114.79 μmol/g in total. Simultaneous preconcentration effect was determined by the interference cations on the sorbent. The LOD varies from 8.42 to 50.56 μg/L and LOQ is achieved from 20.06 to 72.41 μg/L of 15 blank solutions. The developed preconcentration procedure was adequately implemented for the simultaneous analysis of eight metallic ions content in local river samples. The developed vanadium(V) oxide incorporated with silica gel is practicable as an economical and effective adsorbent to eliminate metallic ions from a liquid solution.

Chemical Ingredients of Fresh and Dry Wild Mushrooms from Bosnia and Herzegovina

<p>Many species of wild mushrooms are used as a delicacy in the diet, but data on their nutritional value and the effects of their storage on nutritional values are rare. The aim of this study was to determine the content of Free Amino Acids (FAAs), total carbohydrates, vitamin C, and total anthocyanins in six wild mushroom species collected in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Results showed that the drying of mushrooms does not have much influence on the presence of essential and non-essential amino acids. Mushrooms are an excellent source of amino acids whether they are fresh or dry. The total carbohydrate content varied between 12.25-62.75 mg g^-1 for fresh mushroom extracts and 40.98-167.24 mg g^-1 for dry mushroom extracts. The total carbohydrate content in dry mushrooms is significantly higher than in extracts of fresh mushrooms. The vitamin C content of mushrooms varied between 0.02-1.95 mg g^-1 for fresh mushrooms and 0.0-0.63 mg g^-1 for dry mushrooms. A lower vitamin C content was found in dry mushrooms, which can be affected by the method of drying mushrooms. The total anthocyanins content varied between 0.39-0.66 mg CGE mL^-1 for fresh mushroom extracts and 0.10-0.19 mg CGE mL^-1 for dry mushroom extracts. Lower total anthocyanins content was found in dry mushroom extracts, probably due to the destruction of anthocyanins by drying. Our research shows that selected wild edible mushrooms, fresh and dry, have considerable nutritional potential. However, further research is needed on both other nutrients and anti-nutrients in these mushrooms to support their nutritional dominance.</p>