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.

Three edible mushrooms of the Russulacea family (Lactarius deliciosus, Lactarius sanguifluus and Lactarius semisanguifluus), most frequently consumed in Serbia, were analyzed using the ICP-OES technique to evaluate the content of K, P, Ca, Mg, Na, Al, As, Cd and Pb, both in cap and stipe. Corresponding soils were analyzed, too. Based on the obtained values for the elemental composition of the mushrooms and the soil, bioaccumulation and translocation factors were calculated. All the examined mushrooms species were recognized as bioexclusors of analyzed toxic elements, but bioaccumulators of K, P and Ca. The studied mushrooms are good sources of macroelements. One portion of 300 g of fresh mushrooms had a significant contribution of K and P, exceeding 15 % of the recommended daily intake for the elements. On the contrary, mushrooms had a low potential to bioaccumulate toxic elements, and presented results indicated the regular consumption of wild edible mushrooms is safe for human health. Correlation analysis was applied to determine phosphorus?s influence on the elements? content in the mushrooms and corresponding soils, demonstrating the most remarkable mushrooms' tendency to accumulate phosphorus.

Micromeria croatica (Pers.) Schott is a Balkan endemic of the Lamiaceae family, valued for its aromatic and medicinal properties, but it is threatened by its limited natural distribution. Micropropagation offers a sustainable method for securing biomass and provides material for chemical studies. In this work, we present the first LC-HRMS profiling of extracts (in methanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane) obtained from both native and micropropagated plants. A total of 29 metabolites were identified. A diverse spectrum of secondary metabolites was identified, including phenolic acids (gallic acid monohydrate, vanillic acid, trans-cinnamic acid), flavonoids (luteolin-7-O-rutinoside, diosmetin-7-O-glucoside, kaempferol-O-rutinoside, eriocitrin), and terpenoids (ursolic acid, tanshinone I, riligustilide). The analysis revealed that all compounds detected in native plants were also present in micropropagated material, demonstrating the preservation of the characteristic phytochemical profile in vitro. Moreover, several compounds, such as apigenin, apigenin-7-O-glucuronide, isomaltopaeoniflorin, and methoxylated flavones, were found exclusively in micropropagated samples, indicating that tissue culture may enhance the chemical diversity of the species. Ethyl acetate extracts showed the highest degree of overlap between native and in vitro plants, whereas methanol and hexane extracts contained a greater number of unique metabolites in micropropagated material. This first comprehensive phytochemical report on M. croatica highlights the importance of micropropagation as a sustainable strategy for conserving rare species while ensuring a reliable source of bioactive metabolites.

Tomato is one of the most consumed foodstuffs around the world and major dietary source of lycopene. The main objectives of this study were evaluation of antioxidant activity, using DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, TRP and CUPRAC assays, as well as total phenolic, total flavonoid, lycopene and β-carotene content in 30 tomato and cherry tomato cultivars commonly consumed in Serbia. Tomato with the highest total phenol and total flavonoid content was tomato Indigo Rose (17.56 mg GAE g-1 DW and 30.30 mg RE g-1 DW, respectively), which showed excellent antioxidant characteristics. Total lycopene content was lower in yellow tomato species compared to the red ones, and the highest lycopene content was 0.283 mg g-1 DW for tomato Red Pearl Big. Cluster analysis yields dendrogram, separating tomato and cherry tomato cultivars into three statistically significant clusters ((Dlink / Dmax)×100 < 50).

This study reports for the first time effect of Evernia prunastri acetone extract on micronucleus distribution on human lymphocytes and effect on cholinesterase activity. Furthermore, antioxidant activity (estimated via DPPH, ABTS, TRP and CUPRAC assays) as well as total phenolic compounds (TPC) and antibacterial activity (against two Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria) were determined. Chemical profiling of four E. prunastri extracts (acetone, ether, ethyl acetate and dichloromethane) was done by GC-MS and HPLC analysis. Also, activity concentration of 40K, 137Cs, 226Ra and 232Th was established.