This narrative review summarizes epidemiological studies on breast cancer and prostate cancer with an overview of their global incidence distribution to investigate the relationship between these diseases and diet. The biological properties, mechanisms of action, and available data supporting the potential role of isoflavones in the prevention of breast cancer and prostate cancer are discussed. Studies evaluating the effects of isoflavones in tissue cultures of normal and malignant breast and prostate cells, as well as the current body of research regarding the effects of isoflavones attained through multiple modifications of cellular molecular signaling pathways and control of oxidative stress, are summarized. Furthermore, this review compiles literature sources reporting on the following: (1) levels of estrogen in breast and prostate tissue; (2) levels of isoflavones in the normal and malignant tissue of these organs in European and Asian populations; (3) average concentrations of isoflavones in the secretion of these organs (milk and semen). Finally, particular emphasis is placed on studies investigating the effect of isoflavones on tissues via estrogen receptors (ER).

The food supplement market is growing as many consumers wish to complement their nutrient intake. Despite all the regulations in place to ensure food supplements safety, there are still many cases of irregularities reported especially connected to internet sales. Twenty resveratrol food supplement products sold on the Slovenian market were evaluated on their compliance of declared vs. determined resveratrol content, as well as the compliance of labels with the European Union (EU) and Slovenian regulatory requirements. Both the ingredient contents and food information are important parts of food safety. Analyses of 20 food supplements performed using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) coupled with densitometry showed that 95% of products had contents different from what was declared and 55% of products contained higher contents than declared. In 25% of the products the determined content per unit exceeded the maximum level (150 mg/day) specified in EU novel food conditions for food supplement with trans-resveratrol. Evaluation of the 20 food supplement labels included mandatory and voluntary food information, food supplement information, novel food information, health claims and nutrition claims. Most labels contained the necessary information, but multiple errors were observed ranging from typos to misleading practices. From a food safety perspective there is still a lot of improvement needed in the field of food supplements.

High-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) silica gel and amino plates in combination with developing solvents containing formic and acetic acid were examined for HPTLC‒multi-stage mass spectrometry (MSⁿ) analyses of chestnut bee pollen samples from Slovenia and Türkiye. Ethyl acetate‒formic acid‒acetic acid‒water (10:1.1:1.1:2.6, V/V) and ethyl acetate‒dichloromethane‒formic acid‒acetic acid (10:2.5:1:1.1, V/V) were used for development of silica gel and amino plates, respectively. Twofold pre-development was required for the developed HPTLC‒MSⁿ methods. The first pre-development was performed with methanol‒formic acid (10:3, V/V) for silica gel plates and methanol‒formic acid (10:5, V/V) for amino plates. The second pre-development with methanol was equal for both types of the plates. Using the developed HPTLC‒MSⁿ methods, five phenylamides (spermidines), six isorhamnetin glycosides and gluconic acid were identified in both chestnut bee pollen samples. Glycosylated phenolic acid (caffeic acid-hexoside) was detected only in the Turkish bee pollen sample. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on isorhamnetin-(hexosyl)hexoside, isorhamnetin-acetylhexoside, isorhamnetin-(pentosyl-deoxyhexosyl)hexoside and caffeic acid-hexoside in chestnut bee pollen. This is also the first report on isorhamnetin-(pentosyl-deoxyhexosyl)hexoside and caffeic acid-hexoside in any bee products.

This study evaluated activities of crude extracts from different parts of the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle) collected in Slovenia and Hungary, using effect-directed analyses based on hyphenation of high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and nine in vitro assays performed in situ on chromatographic plates after the separation. HPTLC separation combined with a set of four antibacterial assays, two antifungal assays, and three enzyme inhibitor assays to evaluate the extracts of 15 plant parts: young shoots, young leaves, mature leaves, yellow leaves, petioles of leaves, petioles of male inflorescences, petioles of fruits, female inflorescences, young fruits, male inflorescences, mature male inflorescences, bark of 1–2-year branches, bark of 2-year branches, bark of tree trunk, and bark of roots. Antibacterial activities against Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Rhodococcus fascians) and Gram-negative bacteria (Aliivibrio fischeri, Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola (Psm)), as well as inhibition of enzymes α-glucosidase, lipase, and acetylcholinesterase, were observed for all extracts. Extracts differed in their antifungal activities. Extracts of young shoots, mature leaves, petioles of leaves, and bark of roots showed antifungal activity against plant pathogens Fusarium avenaceum and Bipolaris sorokiniana. Extracts of yellow leaves, male inflorescences, bark of 1–2-year branches, and bark of tree trunks were only active against F. avenaceum, whereas extracts of young leaves were only active against B. sorokiniana. This study is the first to report that A. altissima extracts exhibit (1) antifungal activity against F. avenaceum and B. sorokiniana; (2) antibacterial activity against A. fischeri, Psm, R. fascians, and B. subtilis (except leaves, bark of branches and bark of tree trunks); and (3) inhibitory activity toward lipase, α-glucosidase (except bark of tree trunks), and acetylcholinesterase (except bark of tree trunks).

Foodborne diseases remain a persistent public health problem. Most foodborne outbreaks in Europe occur in consumers’ homes, highlighting that improvements in consumer food safety are needed and that consumers have an important role in maintaining food safety. A better understanding of consumer food safety knowledge, attitudes, and food handling practices is required to prepare effective interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate consumer food safety knowledge, attitudes, and food handling practices in Slovenia as well as the interrelationships between knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Adult consumers in Slovenia (n = 1621) participated in a validated online questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic characteristics and explored the aspects of knowledge, attitudes, and practices on the following topics: food related habits, food shopping and transportation, food refrigeration, food labeling, and food preparation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM). Overall, participants demonstrated good levels of knowledge, attitudes, and practice. However, some of the areas that require improvement include use of cooling bags, measuring and knowing the correct refrigerator temperature and not washing raw meat and poultry. SEM analysis revealed that knowledge affects attitudes and, in most cases, both knowledge and attitudes affect practices. Enhanced communication strategies targeting consumers are needed to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. Educational campaigns need to focus on all three aspects: knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Building a culture of consumer food safety is essential because consumer food safety truly is everyone’s business.

This study investigated the caffeine content in a variety of beverages and chocolate products using a rapid and straightforward method. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) combined with densitometric analysis was employed for efficient separation and quantification. The separation was performed on HPTLC silica gel F₂₅₄ plates developed with ethyl acetate‒methanol‒water (20:2.7:2, V/V) in a horizontal developing chamber that allowed analyses of up to 40 samples simultaneously. Quantification was performed on the basis of the peak areas obtained by densitometric scanning at 275 nm in absorption/reflectance mode. The calibration range was from 10 to 150 ng. The evaluation of caffeine content in coffee, tea (black, green, and white), hot chocolate, cacao, carbonated soft drinks, and energy drinks was on the basis of the caffeine content in 100 mL of beverages as well as caffeine content per serving. Similarly, the caffeine content per 100 g of chocolate (milk and dark—45%, 70%, and 75%) was compared, and the results were compared with the caffeine content in “baking chocolate standard reference material SRM 2384.” In beverages, the caffeine content per 100 mL ranged from: ~2 mg to ~6 mg in cocoa and hot chocolate, ~9 mg to ~12 mg in soft drinks, ~10 mg to ~24 mg in teas, ~29 mg to ~33 mg in energy drinks, and ~69 mg to ~252 mg in coffees. In chocolates, the caffeine contents in 100 g ranged from ~12 mg in milk chocolate to ~54 mg in 75% dark chocolate, while the “baking chocolate standard reference material SRM 2384” contained ~100 mg of caffeine. The highest caffeine content per serving was determined in coffee brewed from ground coffee beans using a domestic recipe. This was followed by three types of coffee from vending machines, while energy drinks ranked only fifth and sixth in terms of caffeine content.