Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent priority contaminants, and the development of fast, reliable and accurate methods for their determination is of essential importance. The soil is a part of the environment which easily accumulates PAHs, making them available for transport to the air and water over long time periods and by plants through the food chain to humans. The aim of present study was to introduce a novel sorbent to the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe technique for soil sample preparation for the determination of 16 European Union priority PAHs by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Two solvent systems, 2:1 (v/v) hexane:acetone and ethyl acetate, were investigated in combination with five clean-up sorbents [Primary secondary amine (PSA), C18, florisil, clinoptilolite, and diatomaceous earth] in this study. The highest overall recovery of the method was achieved by the combination of hexane:acetone with clinoptilolite (recoveries of 70–110%) with limits of detection in the range of 0.60–1.53 µg kg⁻¹. The analysis of 20 soil samples from Niš, Serbia resulted in the identification of 11 samples with concentration greater than the values prescribed by law. The ratios of phenanthrene/anthracene and fluoranthene/pyrene were used to elucidate the origin of the PAHs as pyrolytic.

With the growing interest in natural and health-supporting foods, oak acorns (Quercus robur) are gaining renewed attention for their nutritional and antioxidant potential. This study explored how different processing methods affect bioactive compounds in three acorn-based products: raw acorn flour, roasted “coffee,” and washed-and-roasted “super coffee.” Extracts were obtained using methanol, acetone, and hexane to evaluate total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity via ABTS, DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP, and TRP assays. Methanol proved to be the most effective solvent, extracting up to 66.53 mg GAE/g dw of phenolics in raw flour and 76.50 mg GAE/g dw in roasted “coffee,” reflecting a 15% increase in TPC after thermal treatment. However, the same treatment resulted in a 17% decrease in flavonoid content, from 181.5 mg RE/g dw in raw flour to 150.67 mg RE/g dw in “super coffee.” Antioxidant activity followed a similar pattern, with methanol extracts showing the highest values, up to 584 mg TE/g dw in the CUPRAC assay and 126.7 mg TE/g dw in ABTS. Safety was also assessed through the quantification of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The total PAH levels in the roasted “coffee” and “super coffee” samples were 222 ng/g dw and 290 ng/g dw, respectively. Importantly, PAH4 compounds, used as key safety indicators in EU regulations, were present in low concentrations, primarily as benzo[a]anthracene (34.3–39.8 ng/g), and none exceeded the maximum limits established for cocoa-based products. Benzo[a]pyrene, a major carcinogen, was not detected. The results confirm that acorns of Quercus robur, especially in their native flour form, are rich in antioxidants, naturally gluten-free, and safe when thermally processed, making them a strong candidate for use in functional foods.

Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.) Murrill is a well-known edible mushroom consumed in nutrition as delicacy. It has been used in traditional medicine because of its beneficial effects on human wellness, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer potential. The present study determined the phenolic profile of Laetiporus sulphureus ethanolic extract (LSE) by high-performance liquid chromatographic method. Tolerance of two probiotic bacterial strains Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 229v, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis and probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii on LSE was analyzed in terms of viability and biofilm formation. Effects of extract on colorectal (HCT-116) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cells viability was determined using MTT test in concentration range: 1-500 mu g/mL after 24 and 72 h. Redox parameters (superoxide anion radicals, nitrites, and reduced glutathione) were evaluated using NBT, Griess, and GSH assays in the concentration range of 1-500 mu g/mL after 24 and 72 h. Antimigratory activity was determined by wound healing method using selected concentrations of 10 and 50 mu g/mL after 24 h. Untreated cells were considered as control. As control cell line, we used healthy fibroblasts (MRC-5). Our results demonstrated abundance of LSE in phenolics, with rosmarinic acid as the main component. LSE induced low tolerance of tested planktonic probiotic strains, with no affection on their ability to form biofilm. No significant cytotoxicity on tested cancer cells was observed, with prooxidative and antimigratory effects noticed. Extract exerted significant antimigratory activity on cancer cells without effect on planktonic and probiotic cultures in biofilm. These results indicate potential application of Laetiporus sulphureus ethanolic extract as natural protector of probiotics with prominent ability to suppress cancer cell motility.

Dichloromethane soil samples extracts were prepared using Soxhlet extraction technique, and after clean-up step, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was carried out. A comparison of dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) and column chromatography (cC), as clean-up techniques, was evaluated. Six different sorbents (silica, diatomaceous earth, primary–secondary amine, C18, clinoptilolite and florisil) were tested as dispersive clean-up sorbents versus activated silica and alumina for cC. Best results for three concentration levels among dSPE were obtained using diatomaceous earth, with recovery values in the range of 75–112% for 13 of 16 analysed compounds, while cC recoveries were in the range of 75–111% for all analysed PAHs. Analysis of 12 soil samples from urban area of Niš (Serbia) singled out acenaphthene as the most abundant compound.

The spillage of oil causes severe and long-lasting impacts on both the environment and human life. It is crucial to carefully reconsider the methods and techniques currently employed to recover spilled oil in order to prevent any possible secondary pollution and save time. Therefore, the techniques used to recover spilled oil should be readily available, highly responsive, cost-effective, environmentally safe, and, last but not least, they should have a high sorption capacity. The use of sorbents obtained from natural materials is considered a suitable approach for dealing with oil spills because of their exceptional physical characteristics that support sustainable environmental protection strategies. This article presents a novel sorbent material, which is a composite siloxane foam filled with bentonite clay, aimed at enhancing the hydrophobic and oleophilic behavior of the material. The thermal treatment of bentonite optimizes its sorption capacity by eliminating water, and increasing the surface area, and, consequently, its interaction with oils. In particular, the maximum sorption capacity is observed in kerosene and naphtha for the bentonite clay thermally treated at 600 °C, showing an uptake at saturation of 496.8% and 520.1%, respectively. Additionally, the reusability of the composite foam is evaluated by squeezing it after reaching its saturation point to determine its sorption capacity and reusability.