The effects of phenolic compounds in the gastrointestinal tract are linked to their intake in the diet and their interactions with the food matrix. The aim was to estimate the intake of phenolic compounds from two olive oils and to assess their behavior in the gastrointestinal tract after simulated static in vitro digestion without or with added cellulose, as a preliminary result on the influence of cellulose on their behavior. Individual phenolic compounds were quantified by RP-HPLC. The two olive oils were characterized by phenyl alcohols (1.8% and 5.3%), flavones (1.1% and 2.4%), lignans (0.8% and 1.7%), and unidentified secoiridoid derivatives (96.3% and 90.7%). The estimated population daily intake of phenolic compounds based on EFSA consumption data for the analyzed olive oil samples had means 0.75 to 1.27 and 0.30 to 0.51 mg per day, with the 95 percentile up to 5.91 and 2.38 mg per day for olive oil 1 and 2, respectively. The total amounts after gastric and intestinal digestion significantly decreased. Phenolic subgroups showed different behavior. In the stomach, phenyl alcohols increased, while all other subgroups decreased. After the intestinal phase, some subgroups additionally increased (phenyl alcohols, flavones, lignans), while others decreased (secoiridoids). Cellulose increased recovery in the stomach. As a preliminary result, the influence of cellulose needs to be studied further.

Beneficial activities of phenolic compounds in the gastrointestinal tract, such as antiradical activity, are affected by the food matrix. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of one constituent of the food matrix (dietary fiber β-glucan) on the release and antiradical activity of phenolic compounds from apples in gastrointestinal digestion. Simulated digestion in vitro was conducted on whole apples without or with added β-glucan. Antiradical activity was determined with the DPPH method. The total amount of released phenolic compounds in the stomach (563 mg kg−1 fresh weight (fw), 85%) decreased in the intestine (314 mg kg−1 fw, 47%) (p < 0.05). The presence of β-glucan decreased the release of phenolic compounds to 80 and 74% in the stomach and to 44 and 40% in the small intestine when there were lower and higher β-glucan amounts, respectively. A statistical analysis showed differences between release in digestion without or with β-glucan. B-glucan adsorbed up to 24 (stomach) and 32 mg g−1 (small intestine) of the phenolics. Phenolic compounds scavenged more free radicals in the small intestine than in the stomach, and β-glucan decreased this activity, but not significantly. The interaction between β-glucan and phenolic compounds should be considered when explaining the beneficial effects in the stomach and small intestine.

The National food consumption survey on adolescents and adults from 10 to 99 years of age was conducted in the period from January 2018 to June 2023. Following the EU Menu methodology developed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), this survey aimed to facilitate cross-country comparisons on dietary habits. The survey encompassed all seasons and days of the week to provide insight into the diverse patterns of food consumption. Alongside dietary data, information concerning socioeconomic factors, health status, physical activity, and food supplement usage was collected. Trained interviewers conducted the fieldwork using 24–hour recall and food diaries to record dietary intake. Data gathering and analysis were conducted using NutriCro® software. Before the main data collection, a pilot study conducted from October to November 2021 confirmed the feasibility of the data collection methodology. The study involved a nationally representative sample of 1913 participants (261 adolescents, 783 adults up to 65 years of age, and 522 individuals from 65 to 74 years of age (elderly) and 260 individuals aged 75 to 99 years (very elderly). The overall participation rate was 24.8%. The collected data offer valuable insights into the dietary habits of the studied population groups, serving as a crucial resource in various analyses, especially contributing to national food safety initiatives.

Background: Nutritional status in childhood is associated with a number of short- and long-term health effects. The rising prevalence of childhood obesity highlights the necessity of understanding dietary patterns in children. The study provides an assessment of energy and macronutrient intake and food categories’ contribution to energy intake in Croatian primary school children, according to BMI status. Methods: To assess dietary habits, results of the National Food Consumption Survey on Infants and Children based on EU Menu methodology (OC/EFSA/DATA/2016/02 CT3) were used. The sample included 476 children, aged 6 to under 10 years. Results: Results indicated that one in four children was overweight or obese (27.7%). In total, the mean energy intake was 1598.4 ± 380.3 kcal/day, with 30.7% of the children above the recommended energy intake. Cereals, cereal products, and potato food category were the primary sources of energy, which is in line with the recommendations, with protein and fat intakes exceeding recommended levels. Substantial contribution of sweets and low contribution of fruits and vegetables were observed across all BMI categories, with the difference in energy contribution of fruits (p = 0.041) and vegetables (p = 0.033). The meat, poultry, fish, and eggs category were the contributors to energy intake from protein and fat, in the majority of BMI groups. Conclusions: In the obese group, higher energy intake from certain food subgroups was recorded, stressing the need for a more detailed dietary assessment. The study’s cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, indicating a need for future longitudinal research to better understand the dynamics of dietary patterns and BMI status in primary school children.

Polyphenolic compounds have shown various beneficial effects on human health as well as certain bioactivities such as interactions with dietary fiber. Factors that can influence their interactions with dietary fibers include the pH value, the polyphenolic compound concentration, and compound stability. The aim of this work was to study the interactions between the polyphenolic compound catechin and the dietary fiber zymosan A from yeast through investigation of the adsorption process. The catechin stability and the influence of concentration and pH value on interactions were investigated. Catechin showed the lowest stability at pH 7.0 with degradation ratio from 6 % to 15 %. The lowest adsorption capacity was at pH 7.0, then higher in water and the highest at pH 1.5. A Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption model fit to the data and FTIR analysis indicates the presence of physical interactions between catechin and zymosan A. This study can contribute to better understanding of interactions of polyphenols and dietary fiber for possible design of functional food, or to increase bioaccessibility of polyphenols.

Background/Objectives: Individuals with severe mental disorders often face challenges in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including proper dietary habits. Educational nutrition workshops, as a form of nutritional intervention, may play an important role in improving their nutritional status. This study aims to assess the impact of nutritional workshops on the dietary habits and nutritional status of individuals with severe mental disorders and their caregivers. Methods: This study involved 65 participants, namely 46 individuals with mental disorders living in organized settings (beneficiaries) and 19 caregivers. The nutritional intervention consisted of two cycles of workshops, encompassing a total of four educational workshops. Results: Results before and after the intervention showed positive changes in nutritional status and dietary intake. Beneficiaries lost on average 3.5 kg of body weight, while body fat decreased by 3.5% and visceral fat by 1.9 points. In the group of caregivers, body fat decreased by 3.2%. Energy intake (p < 0.05), total fat (p < 0.01), saturated fatty acid (p < 0.05), polyunsaturated fatty acid (p < 0.05), and sodium (p < 0.05) intake decreased in beneficiaries compared to intake before workshops, while dietary fiber (p < 0.05), vitamin C (p < 0.05), and fruit (p < 0.01) intake increased. In caregivers, the decrease in carbohydrate (p < 0.05), total sugar (p < 0.01), and dietary fiber (p < 0.05) intake was recorded. Conclusion: This study provides a strong foundation for future research and the implementation of educational programs as part of comprehensive care for individuals with severe mental disorders.

Polyphenols receive special attention from consumers and researchers due to their proven health benefits. They are present in different plants, and chokeberries are one of the significant polyphenol sources. Polyphenols found in chokeberries belong to the groups of phenolic acids, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols and flavanols. The highest concentration found in chokeberries belongs to proanthocyanidins followed by anthocyanins. The analysis of polyphenols is very demanding due to the great diversity and presence of conjugated forms. So, development of sensitive, rapid, and accurate analytical methods for analysis of polyphenols is very important. Liquid chromatography is a promising technique for polyphenols analysis, especially one equipped with mass spectrometry that gives additional information about molecular mass and structure. In this review, relevant studies conducted on the analysis of chokeberry polyphenols are presented.

People with severe mental disorders often require special care. Other than institutionalized care, some organizations provide housing options and special care in the form of organized living. Few studies provide a detailed description of nutrient intake in this type of care. The aim of this prospective study was to assess nutritional status and adherence to dietary recommendations in both people with mental disorders (beneficiaries) and their caregivers. Across three levels of care, 46 beneficiaries and 19 caregivers participated in the study. The mean intakes of energy (kcal/day) and macro- and micronutrients (g/day) were estimated from a 3-day dietary record and compared with dietary reference values (DRVs) set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The majority of participants did not meet energy intake recommendations (kcal/day). The contribution of total fat to energy intake (% E) was higher than recommended in both beneficiaries and caregivers with 42.1 ± 4.4% and 38.5 ± 6.5%, respectively. A total of 45.2% of beneficiaries and 61.1% of caregivers had their carbohydrate intake within the recommended range. Fiber intake was well below the recommendations (25 g/day) in all groups. Across all levels of care, lower micronutrient intake for pantothenic acid, biotin, folate, potassium, magnesium, copper, selenium, and iodine was observed. Based on the current results, the development and implementation of nutritional guidelines may be targeted to specific populations and nutrient intakes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of processing (45 °C/48 h and 65 °C/6 h) and two years’ storage on sage (Salvia officinalis L.) honey and to determine the period in which the compliance to the regulations is fulfilled and degradation of nutritive components are minimal. The results showed that processing at higher temperature for shorter period had a greater impact on enzyme activity decrease and increase of color than heating at lower temperature for longer time. Processing had no significant effect on HMF increase, while during storage HMF content increased above maximum prescribed value. Although processing and storage increased phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, at the same time, quality was significantly degraded regarding enzyme activity and HMF content. Therefore, it is recommended to store sage honey for less than two years and if processing is necessary to heat it at as low temperature as possible.

During the study period, inadequate nutritional habits such as skipping of breakfasts, insufficient consumption of fruit, vegetables and dairy products and excessive fast-food consumption may develop. Understanding undesirable dietary patterns in adolescents is one of the measures in prevention of many diseases. The aim of this study was to estimate differences in dietary habits among students from medical and non-medical faculties at Universities in Novi Sad. The research was conducted in May 2018 and included 514 students aged from 19 to 24 (133 males and 381 females) from 4 faculties (Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, Faculty of Sciences and Faculty of Technology) whose study programs contain nutritional items. The original anonymous questionnaire was used. Statistical processing was done in SPSS20. Results showed that 50% of students have 3 meals and only 10% have all 5 meals during the day. Student from Technology faculty in the large percentage (12%) constantly eat during the day in comparison with other faculties (4-5%). One half of students have breakfast every day, while a little less than 5% never has breakfast. Regarding the food types, only 5% of the participants consumed vegetables and only 6% of them consumed fruits more than once a day with statistical significance between faculties (p < 0.01). At the same time, 92% of participants consumed meat a few times a week and 77% of participants consumed fish at least once a week. Water consumption higher than 2 l daily was reported by only one third of the students (faculty differences were statistically significant p < 0.05) although 85% of participants reported water as their first choice of drinks. Results indicate presence of differences in dietary habits among students from different faculties. The necessity of education should be directly focused on increasing proper nutrition habits among students especially in study programs which contain nutritional items.

The National food consumption survey on children aged from three months to nine years of age in Croatia was implemented from 2017 to 2022. It is the first harmonized food consumption survey among children in Croatia following the EU Menu methodology designed by EFSA to collect comparable among countries data. Data were collected in all seasons and days of the week in order to cover seasonal and day-to-day variation in food consumption. In addition to food consumption, data on socio-economic factors, anthropometry, health status, physical activity and food supplement consumption were also collected. Fieldwork was carried out by trained interviewers. Dietary intake was recorded through food diaries collected by participants and checked by the interviewers before being integrated in the specially designed NutriCro® software. During the first interview, data reported through other questionnaires were also entered by the interviewers in the database through the software. Prior to the main fieldwork, a pilot study was conducted from February to March 2019, which resulted in several adaptations of the tools used for data collection. Ultimately, 1820 children were included in the study with an overall response rate of 22.76%. Collected data provide insight into the nutrition of this most vulnerable population group, which is of paramount importance for national programs on food safety.

Interactions with dietary fibers in the gastrointestinal tract might affect the potential bioactivities of phenolic compounds. In this study, the interactions between apple phenolic compounds and β-glucan (a dietary fiber) were studied by studying the adsorption process in simulated gastric and intestinal fluid electrolyte solutions. Phenolic compounds were extracted from apples, adsorbed onto β-glucan (2 h, 37 °C, in gastric or intestinal fluid electrolyte solutions), and determined using high performance liquid chromatography. Phenolic compounds (flavan-3-ols, flavonols, phenolic acids, and dihydrochalcone) were stable in the gastric fluid (pH 3). In the intestinal fluid (pH 7), flavan-3-ols were not found and chlorogenic acid isomerized. Polyphenols from the apple peel (up to 182 and 897 mg g−1) and flesh (up to 28 and 7 mg g−1) were adsorbed onto β-glucan in the gastric and intestinal fluids, respectively. The adsorption was affected by the initial concentration of the polyphenols and β-glucan and by the environment (either gastric or intestinal fluid electrolyte solution). By increasing the initial polyphenol amount, the quantity of adsorbed polyphenols increased. Increasing the amount of β-glucan decreased the amount adsorbed. The results can be helpful in explaining the fate of phenolic compounds in the gastrointestinal tract.

Croatia is a country abundant in food of all kinds. As a result, most of the population meets dietary recommendations in spite of the fact that there are some vulnerable subgroups if particular nutrients are under/overconsumed (e.g., iron deficiency in pregnant women, excessive salt intake in adults). These, together with food safety issues, represent a point of concern for the future. Traditional food products are present throughout the country. Some of these are very popular and therefore common in the modern diet, while others are protected as an intangible cultural heritage. The chapter provides an overview of the dietary habits and patterns in various population groups across Croatia and presents some of the country's traditional food products.

High growth rate and feed efficiency are the two main targets in poultry production. For several decades, antibiotics have been widely used in the chicken diet. However, the use of antibiotics in broilers feeding has resulted in numerous problems and therefore their usage as a growth promoter is no longer acceptable and is prohibited in the European Union countries. Propolis as a natural substance pose itself as a valuable alternative in that sense. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of propolis supplementation on weight gain, feed conversion and selected biochemical blood parameters of broilers. This experimental study was conducted on 180 Ross 308 chickens equally distributed by sex and divided into three groups: the control group of chickens (C) fed with a basal diet and two experimental groups of chickens (E) fed with the same diet supplemented with propolis (E1 2g/kg and E2 4g/kg). Blood sampling was performed by wing vein puncture with direct needle injection coupled with a test tube under vacuum on the 42th day of the study. The collected blood samples were analyzed for the following biochemical parameters (Fe, Ca, Na, P, Mg, K, Cl, cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, total proteins, globulins and albumins). The mentioned biochemical parameters were determined using Olympus AU 680 automatic analyzer (Olympus Life Science Research Europa GmbH, Germany). Laboratory analyses were performed at the Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, University Hospital Centre Osijek. The numerical variables were described as mean and standard deviation. The ANOVA and KruskalWallis test were used for the comparison of numerical variables among the groups. The level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. The study revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in weight gain between C and E groups of chickens on 1st (p = 0.547), 2nd (p = 0.464), 3rd (p = 0.792), 4th (p = 0.426), 5th (p = 0.925) and 6th (p = 0.971) week of feeding. The study also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in feed conversion between C and E groups in any of the week of feeding (p = 0.368). Finally, the study revealed that there were statistically significant differences in Na levels (p = 0.039) and Ca levels (p = 0.045) while there were no statistically significant differences in HDL cholesterol (p = 0.719), LDL cholesterol (p = 0.382), cholesterol (p = 0.462), triglycerides (p = 0.481), proteins (p = 0.249), albumins (p = 0.661), globulins (p = 0.058), glucose (p = 0.179), Fe (p = 0.068), Mg (p = 0.557), K (p = 0.590), P (p = 0.397) and Cl (p = 0.128) levels between C and E groups. It can be concluded that applied doses of propolis did not affect the observed performance indicators and selected biochemical blood parameters of broilers thus it is important to evaluate the effects of such supplementation through some other indicators.

1 Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Center PlavaPoliklinika, 3.Tuzlanske brigade 7, 75000 Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina 2 Department of Food and Nutrition Research, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, FranjeKuhača 18, 31000 Osijek, Croatia 3 Department of Family Medicine, Health Care Center, Kulinabana bb, 75300 Lukavac, Bosnia & Herzegovina 4 Department of Ophthalmology, University Clinical Center, Trnovac bb, 75000 Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Objectives: This study aimed at investigating poverty and other correlates of childhood underweight and obesity in two urban regions with lower (Podgorica, Montenegro) and higher economic development (Osijek, Croatia). Study design: Comparative study. Methods: A comparative study was conducted on 693 children (52% boys), aged 7 years old (224 from Podgorica and 469 from Osijek). Parents completed the study-specific questionnaire on relevant factors for children's nutritional status. We measured children's height and weight and calculated their body mass index (BMI). International Obesity Task Force cut-off values of BMI were used to assess children's nutritional status. Subjective social position was assessed by the Mac Arthur scale. Results: There were more underweight children in Osijek compared with Podgorica, both among boys (5.5% vs. 1.6%) and girls (6.9% vs. 1.0%). Obesity was more frequent in Podgorica than Osijek, both among boys (11.3% vs. 5.9%) and girls (10.0% vs. 4.3%). However, poverty in two cities diminished observed differences in children's nutritional status. The odds for child underweight decreased by 12.2%, while the odds for obesity increased by 3.6% per each paternal BMI unit. The frequency of child obesity was lowered per each step higher on the Mac Arthur scale and with breastfeeding by 23.2% and 68.0%, respectively. Conclusions: We show that a higher economic development is related to less obese children but more underweight children. However, poverty seems to impact nutritionally all children equally, regardless of the regional economic development. Paternal and not maternal BMI is relevant for both extremes in children's nutritional status. Breastfeeding and higher social position independently protect from child obesity. (C) 2020 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

One of the major problems in intensive fattening of chickens is liver damage 1 . Recent studies have shown that the addition of propolis into the broiler diet protected liver tissue against the adverse effects of various hepatotoxic factors 1,2 . The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of dietary supplementation of propolis on liver pathology in broilers. This experimental study was conducted on 120 Ross 308 broilers of equally distributed sex, which were randomly divided into three groups: control group (C) and two experimental groups of chickens (P1 and P2). Throughout the whole study (for 42 days) the control group of broilers was fed feed mixture while feed mixture that was fed to the experimental groups of broilers contained propolis in amount of 0,5 g/kg (P1 group) and 1,0 g/kg of feed mixture (P2 group). The study showed that the clusters of lymphocytes in the hepatocytes, the vacuolar degeneration, necrosis of the liver parenchyma, the bile ductule hyperplasia, and the various forms of pathological changes in the liver veins were more frequent in liver tissue samples of the control group compared to liver tissue samples of the experimental groups (p<0.001). The study further showed that the various forms of pathological changes in the liver arteries and steatosis of the liver parenchyma were more frequent in liver tissue samples of the control group compared to liver tissue samples of the experimental groups (p=0.023 and p=0.003, respectively). The supplementation with propolis has a strong protective effect on liver pathology in broilers.