The study aimed to evaluate the nutritional contribution of essential elements (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Zn) and assess health risks associated with potentially toxic elements (Cd, Pb, As, Al, and Sr) in three types of cheese from retail chains and produced by two different producers. One hundred forty-four cheese samples were collected in 12 months. All samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The average concentrations of Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Zn, Al and Sr in cheese samples were 4183.87-6227.98 mg/kg, 1.00-1.63 mg/kg, 695.90-884.39 mg/kg, 175.00-255.70 mg/kg, 21.49-27.56 mg/kg, 2.65-5.73 mg/kg and 1.91-5.82, respectively, depending on cheese type and producers. Concentrations of As, Cd and Pb in all analyzed samples were below the limit of detection (LOD). From a nutritional perspective, the analyzed cheeses represented important dietary sources of calcium and zinc, with substantial contributions to recommended daily intakes, particularly under the higher consumption scenario (100 g/day). Magnesium also contributed meaningfully to dietary intake, especially in children, whereas the contributions of iron and potassium remained relatively low in all evaluated consumption scenarios. Health risk assessment was expressed as the percentage of the tolerable daily intake (%TDI) or provisional tolerable weekly intake (%PTWI). Under the higher consumption scenario (100 g/day), children represented the most highly exposed population group, with %PTWI values for aluminum ranging from 0.25 to 9.10% and %TDI values for strontium ranging from 6.92 to 20.00%, depending on cheese type and producer. Overall, the analyzed cheeses showed high nutritional value and low toxicological risk; however, continuous monitoring of potentially toxic elements remains important to ensure food safety.

This study evaluated the content of 21 chemical elements in traditional Slovak bryndza cheese obtained from two producers and assessed potential health risks related to its consumption. The concentrations of essential and toxic elements were determined by ICP-OES. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed between bryndza samples from the two producers. Bryndza obtained from one producer showed significantly higher concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and zinc, while bryndza from the other producer contained significantly higher levels of potassium. From a nutritional perspective, bryndza represents a valuable dietary source of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and selenium due to their relatively high concentrations in the product and its substantial contribution to recommended dietary intakes, particularly at higher consumption levels. The concentrations of cadmium and molybdenum were below detection limits, while aluminium, barium, chromium, lithium, antimony, strontium, and nickel showed minimal toxicological relevance. However, one sample exceeded the EU limit for lead (0.02 mg/kg), and arsenic levels in several samples indicated potential health risks for children consuming 100 g of bryndza. Overall, bryndza is a nutritionally beneficial traditional food, yet regular monitoring of heavy metals remains essential to ensure its safety.

Monitoring essential and toxic elements in milk and dairy products is important for protecting consumer health. Regular monitoring of these elements helps ensure the quality, safety, and nutritional value of dairy products. This study aimed to determine the concentrations of 8 elements (Ca, Mg, K, Zn, Se, Ni, Sr, and As) in sheep milk, sheep cheese, and traditional Slovak sheep products, including žinčica and bryndza. A total of 48 samples were collected from an ecologically managed sheep farm located in an undisturbed area of Slovakia. The highest concentrations were recorded for essential elements, particularly in solid sheep milk products such as sheep cheese and bryndza. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in element concentrations were observed among the analyzed products. Dietary intake assessment was based on 2023 Slovak dairy consumption data and on recommended consumption levels for selected dairy products. Risk assessment of toxic element intake revealed elevated exposure levels in relation to toxicological limits. Ni intake reached 50.77% of the tolerable daily intake (TDI) in bryndza and 40.00% in fresh sheep cheese. For As, the preliminary tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) reached 48.00% for žinčica and 30.60% for bryndza. These findings suggest that long-term excessive consumption of certain sheep products may negatively affect human health. Although sheep milk products are consumed less frequently than cow milk products, their high nutritional value and the detected levels of toxic elements highlight the need for continuous monitoring of element transfer into the food chain and its potential effects on human health.

The study aimed to determine the content of 17 elements (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, and Zn) in samples of sheep milk, cheese, and whey (36 samples in total) collected from a farm in an environmentally burdened area due to the long-term mining and industrial activity in Slovakia as well as to determine the possible risk of consumption via health risk assessment calculations. Consumption of 120 g of milk, 500 g of milk, 20 g of cheese, and 100 g of cheese were used in calculations for children and adults, respectively. According to the results, concentrations of four elements are controversial. Lead concentrations in all types of samples exceeded the maximum permissible lead limit in milk set by European Union legislation. The content of Se and As is problematic for children’s consumption, and the target hazard quotient for As and Al is higher than one (considered potentially not safe) in all scenarios. According to the target system approach, lead concentrations in milk and cheese could adversely influence the nervous system and kidneys of adults’ and children’s developmental and reproductive systems. Considering the worst-case scenario, consuming sheep milk and cheese from the monitored areas could represent a risk and be potentially harmful to human health, mainly for children. However, further monitoring of the levels of elements and concentrations in environmentally burdened areas and more robust data on consumption are needed.

Milk as a nutritional dense component of diet plays a tremendous role in building a healthy society. However, due to environmental pollution, milk can contain heavy metals and trace elements as well which can threaten human health. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the content of 22 elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Zn) in raw sheep milk collected from the area with potentially undisturbed environment (region Stredné Považie) and area with the heavily disturbed environment (region Spiš) in Slovakia. Analysis of the elements was determined using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer with axial plasma configuration and with auto-sampler SPS-3. Concentrations of only 8 elements (Ca, Na, K, Mg, Al, Fe, Li, and Zn) were found above the detection limit in samples from the potentially undisturbed area, while a whole range of elements was found in samples from the area with heavily disturbed region except three elements (Ag, Cd, and Co) which were below the limit of detection. Significantly higher (P < 0.05) concentrations of Na, K, and Zn were found in the Spiš region. The highest concentration of four essential elements Ca, K, Mg, Na, and toxic element Al in samples of sheep milk was found. The hazard index (HI) values were higher than 1 in samples from both monitored farms (6.57 from the farm in the Spiš region and 4.95 in the Stredné Považie region). The highest target hazard quotient (THQ) represents the presence of Al (3.95 and 4.92) in both regions and As (2.17) in the Spiš region. THQ of other monitored elements was less than 1, which means these elements would unlikely cause adverse health effects. Our results indicate that exclusive and long-term consumption of milk from spotted farms can potentially lead to adverse non-carcinogenic health effects due to regular intake of heavy metals, especially Al and As, which can be hazardous mainly for risky groups.

The work deals with the histological and morphometric description of regressive changes in the mammary glands of swine after lactation. Samples of mammary glands of thoracic, abdominal and pubic udders were taken soon after they were killed. Samples were processed by histological and histochemical methods and evaluated by subjective and quantitative morphometrical methods. It was found that post-lactation increases the relative volume of connective stroma up to 75.10 ± 14.76 % of collagen in the tissue falls to 74.13 ± 14.87 % and the loose connective tissue, which was part of glandular parenchyma lobules accounts for only 0.97 ± 2.13%. Adipose tissue is 18.93 ± 14.93% of the udders volume.. Relative of glandular parenchyma fell to 5.97 ± 4.95% and mainly consists of a interlobular and lobar ducts and atrophic alveoli. Epithelium is generally in the mammary glands 4.22 ± 3.56% and lumen 1.75 ±1.81%. 1 cm3 of tissue in the mammary glands located 190745.52 tubuloalveolar structures. Alveoli reach an average size of 36.80 ± 11.57 µm. It was found relative volume of the walls (epithelium) and cavities (lumen) of each alveolus, the amount of epithelial cells and the nucleocytoplasmic ratio. The individual building components mammary glands were calculated correlation relations.

Concentration of toxic metals in milk, especially in industrial regions, may serve as a direct bioindicator of the quality of milk, which is an important food in human diet. Nutritional value, accessibility and variability of usage make milk a significant part of the human diet and a very good raw material for further food and industrial processing. Regular consumption of milk brings a lot of positive health effects. However, due to environmental pollution, milk may contain also toxic elements with adverse effects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze of 10 essential and toxic elements (Ca, Na, K, Mg, Zn, Fe, Al, Li, Ni, Sr) in raw cow milk from 3 areas of Slovakia with different environmental burden: Zamagurie – undisturbed environment, Poiplie (Novohrad) – slightly disturbed environment, Podunajsko – strongly disturbed environment. From all monitored elements, concentrations of Ni were below the LOD limits. Mean concentrations of Al, Li and Sr was very low and differences in concentrations between areas was not statistically significant. From essential elements, the highest concentrations were found in case of Ca and Na and statistically significant differences (P˂0.05) was detected between undisturbed and slightly disturbed area of Slovakia in case of Ca, Na, K and Mg. Due to very low concentrations of toxic elements or below the LOD limit, cow´s milk from monitored areas in considered safe for human consumption and for further food or industrial processing. Keywords: milk, food processing, elements, environmental pollution, quality

The effects of cadmium and diazinon administration on rat sperm motility parameters were performed using a Computer Assisted Semen Analyzer (CASA) system. CASA was made on semen samples collected 36 h following an intraperitoneal injection of physiological solution (control group), diazinon (20 mg/kg body wt), cadmium (2 mg/kg body wt), separately and in combination. Sperm kinematic measurements revealed significant decline in the percentage of motile spermatozoa (P<0.05), significant higher amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) (P<0.01) with significant decline in beat cross frequency (BCF) (P<0.001) after the diazinon administration. Cadmium-treated males exhibited significantly lower percentage of motile spermatozoa (P<0.01) and percentage of spermatozoa with progressive motility (P<0.001) with significant decrease in straightness (STR) and BCF (P<0.05). Simultaneous exposure to cadmium and diazinon led to significant increase in ALH (P<0.05) and significant decrease in BCF (P<0.001). Cadmium and diazinon exerted deleterious effect inducing spermatozoa motility alterations which could be subsequently negatively related to male fertility.

Milk and dairy products are an important part of the human diet for numerous reasons. Goat milk is higher in the content of elements such as K and Ca. Nowadays, consumption of goat milk and goat dairy products increases because of better digestion and therapeutic value. However, goat milk can contain heavy metals and trace elements as well which can harm human health. The content of 22 elements in sixty-nine samples of goat milk, whey, three types of cheese, and yogurt from the ecological farm in region Orava and conventional farm in region Stredné Považie in Slovakia was measured in this study. The highest concentration of four elements Ca, K, Mg, and Na in samples of goat products was found. In our study, significant statistical differences (P < 0.05) were found only in levels of K, Ca, Li and Na when comparing milk samples from organic and conventional farm. Concentrations of K (1260.50 mg/kg), Li (0.02 mg/kg) and Na (293.46 mg/kg) were higher in samples from ecological farm, while concentration of Ca (1344.65 mg/kg) was higher in samples from conventional farm. Toxic elements were present in trace amounts or under the limit of detection. The consumption of goat milk and goat dairy products from monitored farms can be considered as safe and beneficial for human health regardless of the way of farming. According to the highest level of strontium in hard ripening cheese, frequent regular consumption should be considered for children as a preventive measure for development of bone health.

Milk is considered as a basic food, highly nutritious, and recommended for everyday consumption during the whole human life. However, due to environmental pollution, milk is not just a source of essential minerals, but potentially can contain heavy metals and trace elements as well which can threaten human health. The study aimed to determine the occurrence of 22 elements: Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Zn in raw sheep milk collected from areas with different environmental burden in Slovakia. Samples were collected from three farms, one from Orava region (potentially undisturbed area) and two from Spiš region (slightly and heavily disturbed area) during the period of lactation. Analysis of the elements was performed using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry with axial plasma configuration and with auto-sampler SPS-3. Statistical significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in concentrations of following elements: Al, As, Ba, Ca, K, Li, Sr, and Zn. Calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium were most represented in samples from all monitored farms. The highest element variation was found in sheep milk samples from the heavily disturbed area. This fact confirmed the quality of monitored areas according to environmental regionalization by The Ministry of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak Environmental Agency. Heavy metals found in the heavily disturbed area do not represent any concerns according to European legislation, except lead, for which the mean concentration represents 0.02 mg/kg. This value was set by EC Regulation no. 1881/2006 and Codex Alimentarius as the level of the permitted limit of concentration of Pb in milk.

In this paper we described a morphometric comparison of lactating mammary glands of pigs, depending on their location. As experimental animals were used five pig breeds White Meat at the age of 24 months. Anatomical dissection and sampling of the mammary glands of thoracic, abdomen and pubic udders for histological processing and subsequent quantitative morphometric evaluation were taken after killing the animals. It was found that glandular parenchyma, stroma connective tissue and adipose tissue in the mammary glands of the thoracic, abdomen and pubic udders quantitative evenly distributed regardless of udder location. It was found that the epithelium, lumen, collagenous tissue and loose connective tissue in the mammary glands of the thoracic, abdomen and pubic udders of swine quantitative evenly distributed regardless of their location. The average size of glandular alveolar parenchyma varied from 122.46 μm ± 45.73 μm to 138.47 ± 33.16 μm, which were not found statistically significant differences of the average size of alveoli between udders. The average abundance of the alveoli in the 1 cm3 of tissue of the mammary glands was 226 933, 08 161 ± 136.27, because not all the alveoli were the same size. There was no difference in abundance of the alveoli between udders. It found the percentage of small, medium and large alveoli. Also, the relative volume of the walls (epithelium) and cavity (lumen) alveoli is balanced in all udders and unrelated to their location. Negative correlations between the abundance and size of the alveoli were found.

Concentration of toxic metals in milk, especially in industrial regions, may serve as a direct bioindicator of the quality of milk, which is an important food in human diet. The aim of this study was to find actual contamination of selected area of Slovakia and to determine the effect of lactation stages on the concentration of risk and toxic elements in sheep´s milk of Tsigai breed. Monitoring of environment was performed by sampling of soil, feed, and milk samples from 400 ewes. Selected elements in feed and milk were detected using the AAS-HG, AES-ICP, AAS-ETA, AAS-AMA, and AAS-F and in soil samples by ICP-OES. Concentrations of toxic elements (As, Hg, Pb, Ni) were found in the soil samples, which corresponded to MRL, and their content was not reflected in the samples of feed and milk of sheep and were below the LOQ. The effect of lactation stage was statistically significant only in case of Ca (P<0.05), where a significant increase in concentration of this element was found throughout the lactation period. A statistically significant increase of concentrations of Se, Mg, Zn and Fe (P<0.05) in sheep milk was recorded only in the late stage of lactation. Pearson´s correlation analysis showed a several very strong and positive correlation relationships in individual lactation stages of sheep. The very low concentrations, below LOQ of selected toxic elements in milk confirmed, that level of contamination of the selected area of Slovakia is very low, and milk from this area of Slovakia is in good hygienic quality and it is safety for direct consumption or for further processing.

The aim of this work was to determine the concentrations of selected mutagenic elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Se) in raw ewe milk from undisturbed environment in Orava region, northern Slovakia. There are possible sources of some of the analyzed metals which may be distributed from the metallurgical plants located in the Ostrava region, Czech Republic, and Katowice, Poland. In total, forty milk samples were analyzed in June and August using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The differences in elements concentrations between the seasonal periods were not significant except of iron (p < 0.0001). The concentrations of most of the metals in ewe milk were low and under the permissible or recommended limits. However, arsenic and selenium concentrations were elevated and could pose a risk of the mutagenic effect, particularly in children. The frequency of element occurrence in June was as follows: Se > Fe > As > Cu > Mn > Ni > Co > Pb > Cr > Cd, and in August: Se > Fe = As > Cu > Mn > Pb > Co > Ni > Cr > Cd. The correlation analysis revealed very strong positive correlation between Cu:Pb (p < 0.05), very strong negative correlation between Fe:Se (p < 0.05). The strong correlations were also found between other elements. The present study showed that milk produced in the relatively undisturbed environment might contain various mutagenic elements. The relationships between the elements might result in the additive or synergistic effects of elements and increase the risk of their mutagenic effects even in low concentrations. Therefore, attention must be paid to the monitoring of metals in the areas where food sources destined especially for child nutrition are produced.

Arsenic (As) is one of the most potent natural as well as anthropogenic metalloid toxicants that have various implications in the everyday life of humans. It is found in several chemical forms such as inorganic salt, organic salt, and arsine (gaseous form). Although it is mostly released via natural causes, there are many ways through which humans come in contact with As. Drinking water contamination by As is one of the major health concerns in various parts of the world. Arsenic exposure has the ability to induce adverse health effects including reproductive problems. Globally, around 15% of the couples are affected with infertility, of which about 20-30% are attributed to the male factor. Arsenic affects the normal development and function of sperm cells, tissue organization of the gonads, and also the sex hormone parameters. Stress induction is one of the implications of As exposure. Excessive stress leads to the release of glucocorticoids, which impact the oxidative balance in the body leading to overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This may in turn result in oxidative stress (OS) ultimately interfering with normal sperm and hormonal parameters. This study deals with As-induced OS and its association with sex hormone disruption as well as its effect on sperm and semen quality.

This study aimed to measure concentrations of selected essential and toxic elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Zn) in animal tissues of sheep originating from the area with a slightly environmental burden (Horehronie region) and undisturbed area (Orava region) in Slovakia. Liver, kidney, mammary gland, and muscle from 22 ewes for two consecutive years (2020 and 2021) were analysed by an inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Various concentrations of monitored elements were obtained after subjecting the results to statistical analysis. Contents of five toxic elements (arsenic, cobalt, nickel, lead, antimony), and chrome and selenium, were below the detection limits. Content of cadmium exceeded the maximum permissible level in kidneys from the slightly disturbed area. Although the content of copper did not exceed the permissible limit, the concentration of Cu was higher in the liver in both areas in 2021 compared to the results from other studies. The concentration of lithium in the kidney, liver, and muscle from the Orava region was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of the Horehronie region. Concentrations of Mg, Ag, Cd, Mo, and Zn were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in samples from region Horehronie than that in the Orava region. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) were noted between concentrations of K, Li, and Mo in kidneys; Fe, K, and Li in the mammary gland; Cu, Zn in the liver and Mn in muscles of sheep across the reference years. In summary, monitoring the occurrence of elements found in commonly consumed dietary raw materials contributes to ensuring the quality and safety of food. Most of the tissue samples analysed are relatively safe for regular human consumption. However, the concentrations of Cd in the kidneys from the slightly disturbed area and potentially Cu in the liver from both areas pose a health risk for the consumers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of lactation on the concentration of selected essential and toxic elements in sheep milk from an area of Slovakia with a potentially undisturbed environment and to find out the actual contamination of the selected area, in the aspect of its environmental character. The research was conducted with 400 sheep (Tsigai breed), and the milk samples were taken during the lactation periods (early, middle and late lactation stage). Sheep were reared on the extensive pastures, reared indoors afterward, fed with pasture ad libitum. Milk samples were collected after morning and afternoon milking. The samples of milk were analysed toxic and essential elements (Ca, Se, Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu, As, Cd, Hg, Ni, Pb) by the method of atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The macro elements concentration in milk changes following the stages of lactation (p<0.05). There was found that Ca milk concentration increased gradually in the following stages of lactation while Mg, Se, and Fe only in the last stage of lactation. The Zn concentration in milk was the highest during summer (p<0.05). Simultaneously the contents of essential elements (Cu) and toxic elements (As, Cd, Hg, Ni, Pb) in milk were very low, below the limit of quantification. In conclusion, ewe's milk from potentially analysed areas of Slovakia is safe and poses no risk to consumer health, and is suitable for use directly or in dairy processing.

The monitoring of metals and other chemical elements in the basic sources of diet, mainly for children, is very important for preventing health issues. The aim of this work was to determine the concentration of selected essential (Ca, K, Mg, Mo, Na, Zn) and non-mutagenic elements (Ag, Al, Ba, Li, Sb, Sr) in ewe milk from the Orava region in northern Slovakia. Twenty milk samples were analysed in June and August using an inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The differences in elements concentration between the seasonal periods were not significant (p < 0.05), except for lithium (p < 0.05). The essential elements concentration was within the recommended levels, while the non-mutagenic and potentially toxic metals consist was under the permissible limits. However, there were found very strong and significant relationships between the elements which may suggest the synergistic / additive or antagonistic effects of some elements.

Bee pollen has been successfully used as a feed additive with beneficial impacts on productive, reproductive, and immune conditions of animals. However, its effect on bone structure and bone health remains controversial. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to examine the impact of bee pollen supplementation on macroscopic and microscopic structure of a femoral bone using rats as suitable animal models. Male rats (1 month-old) were assigned into three groups: control (C group) that was fed a standard diet without bee pollen and two bee pollen supplemented groups (P1 and P2 groups) that received an experimental diet including 0.5% and 0.75% of bee pollen, respectively, for 3 months. A number of unfavorable effects of 0.75% bee pollen administration on bone weight, cortical bone thickness, calcium content, alkaline phosphatase activity, sizes of primary osteons' vascular canals, Haversian canals and secondary osteons in the cortical bone have been recorded, whereas these bone parameters were significantly decreased in the P2 group versus the C group. On the contrary, the concentration of 0.5% did not affect any of bone features mentioned above. In conclusion, the impact of bee pollen supplementation on femoral bone structure of rats depends on the dose used.