For centuries, bee pollen has been known for its medicinal value and regarded as a rich source of bioactive compounds, including essential nutrients and phytochemicals. Its putative therapeutic and health-promoting benefits include antioxidant, antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycaemic, and numerous additional properties. However, the beneficial qualities can only be guaranteed if potential contaminants do not detract from its superfood image. Recent research has indicated frequent occurrence of mycotoxins in bee pollen, occasionally at concentration levels exceeding safe intakes. There are very few published publications in the literature related to the research of mycotoxin concentrations in bee pollen. Based on that, the aim of this review is to provide an overview update of existing scientific research on the presence, prevalence and types of mycotoxins in bee pollen, with particular emphasis on toxins produced by fungi. Furthermore, the aim is to compile the available data on mycotoxin contamination of pollen in order to identify factors relevant to the safety and quality of bee pollen as a food product and dietary supplement.

Edible and medicinal mushrooms, including cultivated and wild species, are increasingly recognized as valuable functional foods and nutraceutical resources due to their high nutritional value, abundance of bioactive compounds, and documented health-promoting properties. However, their high perishability results in substantial postharvest quality losses and limits commercial shelf life. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in mushroom preservation technologies, with particular emphasis on emerging non-thermal approaches such as cold plasma treatment, active packaging systems, and electrostatic field technologies. Conventional and advanced drying methods, edible coatings, biopreservation, fermentation and irradiation are also critically evaluated. Cold plasma treatment effectively reduces microbial contamination and enzymatic browning while maintaining firmness and nutritional quality, whereas active packaging systems based on chitosan films, nanocomposites, and modified atmospheres help reduce moisture loss, delay senescence, and preserve physicochemical properties during storage. Electrostatic field treatment combined with modified atmosphere packaging has shown additional potential for extending refrigerated shelf life. Among drying technologies, freeze-drying generally provides the highest retention of colour, texture and bioactive compounds, although its industrial application remains constrained by high energy consumption and operational costs. Overall, current evidence suggests that integrated preservation approaches offer the greatest potential for improving shelf-life extension and quality retention. Nevertheless, further research is required to address challenges related to industrial scalability, process standardization, economic feasibility and long-term quality assessment.

Edible and medicinal mushrooms have attracted considerable attention due to their nutritional composition and diverse bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. They are characterised by a rich nutritional profile, including high-quality proteins, dietary fibre, essential minerals and vitamins, which contribute to their role as functional foods. In addition to these nutrients, mushrooms contain various bioactive components such as polysaccharides (especially β-glucans), terpenes, phenolic compounds and sterols. These bioactive compounds are associated with numerous biological activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. The combined nutritional and bioactive profile of edible and medicinal mushrooms supports their use in dietary strategies for health promotion and disease prevention. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the nutritional composition and bioactive components of edible and medicinal mushrooms, highlighting their promising role in promoting health and their potential in the production of functional foods and nutraceutical products. Special attention is given to some representative mushroom species, including Hericium erinaceus, Ganoderma lucidum and Lentinula edodes. Given the growing interest in natural health-promoting compounds, mushrooms represent a promising and sustainable resource for the future development of functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Fruit vinegars, which are produced through the alcoholic and acetic fermentation of fruit substrates, are increasingly recognised as functional foods with potential health benefits. Their biological value results from the presence of organic acids (especially acetic acid), polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamins, minerals and other bioactive compounds derived from the fruit and microbial metabolism during fermentation. Numerous studies, including selected experimental studies and limited clinical trials, have reported antioxidant, antimicrobial, hypolipidaemic and hypoglycaemic effects of fruit vinegars, particularly those produced from apple, plum and grape. These findings suggest potential benefits in body weight regulation, glucose metabolism and cholesterol levels, possible roles in supporting intestinal microbiota health; however, the evidence remains heterogeneous and dependent on study design and population. In addition, the presence of specific phenolic compounds may contribute to the prevention of oxidative stress and chronic non-communicable diseases. The biological activity of fruit vinegars is strongly influenced by the type of fruit used, production methods, microbial dynamics and the duration of fermentation. Despite the growing body of evidence, further clinical studies are needed to confirm their efficacy, safety and optimal dosage for human consumption. The aim of this review is to consolidate current knowledge on the composition, mechanisms of action and potential applications of fruit vinegars in promoting human health, with a focus on evidence-based findings and future research perspectives.Ključne riječi

Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) is an edible and medicinal mushroom that has attracted increasing scientific interest as a dietary supplement because of its potential effects on cognitive function, neuroprotection, mental well-being and healthy ageing. Its biological activities have been primarily attributed to bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, hericenones and erinacines, which may influence neurotrophic signalling, neuroplasticity, oxidative stress, inflammation and neuronal survival. This review examines the potential benefits and limitations of H. erinaceus supplementation, with emphasis on its bioactive compounds, mechanisms of action, cognitive and neuroprotective effects, mental-health-related outcomes, safety and product quality. Experimental studies provide evidence for neurotrophic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities, while clinical studies suggest possible benefits for cognitive outcomes, particularly information-processing speed, subjective stress and well-being. However, findings are inconsistent across study populations and outcomes, and evidence regarding neurodegenerative diseases is still largely derived from preclinical studies. Interpretation is further complicated by small sample sizes, short intervention periods, variability in supplement formulations, differences between fruiting-body-derived and mycelium-derived preparations and insufficient standardisation of bioactive compounds. Although H. erinaceus supplementation is generally well tolerated, its safety during prolonged use and optimal dosage remains unclear. Overall, H. erinaceus shows potential as a dietary supplement for supporting cognitive and neurological health, but further well-designed clinical trials involving larger populations, longer intervention periods and standardised, well-characterised preparations are needed to confirm its clinical effectiveness and establish reliable recommendations for safe supplementation.