The worldwide problem of infectious diseases has appeared in recent years, and antimicrobial agents are crucial in reducing disease emergence. Nevertheless, the development and distribution of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains in pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhi and Citrobacter koseri, has become a major society health hazard. Essential oils could serve as a promising tool as a natural drug in fighting the problem with these bacteria. The current study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial effectiveness of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden and Betche) Cheel), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus obliqua L’Hér.), and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill) essential oils. The antimicrobial properties of essential oils were screened against four pathogenic bacteria, E. coli, S. aureus, S. Tyhpi, and C. koseri, and two reference bacterial strains, while for the testing, the agar well diffusion method was used. Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometric (GC–MSD) analyses were performed on essential oils. The obtained results showed that M. alternifolia essential oil is the richest in terpinen-4-ol, R. officinalis and E. oblique essential oils in 1,8-cineole, and L. angustifolia essential oil in α-terpinyl acetate. In addition, the main bioactive compounds present in the essential oil of tea tree are rich in α-pinene (18.38%), limonene (7.55%) and γ-terpinene (14.01%). The essential oil of rosemary is rich in α-pinene (8.38%) and limonene (11.86%); eucalyptus essential oil has significant concentrations of α-pinene (12.60%), p-cymene (3.24%), limonene (3.87%), and γ-terpinene (7.37%), while the essential oil of lavender is rich in linalool (10.71%), linalool acetate (9.60%), α-terpinyl acetate (10.93%), and carbitol (13.05%) bioactive compounds, respectively. The obtained results from the in vitro study revealed that most of the essential oils exhibited antimicrobial properties. Among the tested essential oils, tea tree was discovered to demonstrate the strongest antimicrobial activity. The recorded MIC of S. Typhi was 6.2 mg/mL, 3.4 mg/mL of C. koseri, 3.1 mg/mL of E. coli, and 2.7 mg/mL of E. coli ATCC 25922, compared to M. alternifolia. Similarly, only S. aureus ATCC 25923 showed antimicrobial activity towards R. officinalis (1.4 mg/mL), E. oblique (2.9 mg/mL), and L. angustifolia (2.1 mg/mL). Based on the obtained results, it is possible to conclude that tea tree essential oil might be used as an ecological antimicrobial in treating infectious diseases caused by the tested pathogens.

Antibiotics are widely recognized as significant chemical pollutants that enter the environment and ultimately the food chain. They are extensively used in both aquaculture and terrestrial animal breeding. Antibiotic residues in cultured fish pose significant public health risks, including the potential for antimicrobial resistance and adverse health outcomes. This review examines the widespread use of antibiotics in aquaculture, highlighting key challenges such as the lack of reliable data on antibiotic consumption in many regions as well as variability in regulatory enforcement. While strict regulations in European countries help to mitigate risks, the growing, often unregulated use of antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries exacerbates concerns over food safety. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of global regulatory frameworks and the impact of antibiotic residues on public health, and it offers recommendations for improving the monitoring, regulation, and responsible use of antibiotics in aquaculture in order to ensure safer food products from farmed fish. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the global scope of antibiotic misuse in aquaculture and points to an urgent need for more effective management practices.

The effects of supplementing spices, including garlic, black pepper and hot red pepper, in broiler chicken diet on proximate composition, cholesterol content and lipid oxidation of breast and thigh with drumstick meat, skin and liver were investigated. Meat proximate composition included measurements of moisture, protein, fat and ash content. Cholesterol content of tissue homogenates was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography–DAD analyses, while lipid oxidation of white and red meat, as well as liver, was expressed as a concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (mg malondialdehyde (MDA)/kg tissue). For biological research, eight treatments with a total of 1200 broiler chickens of hybrid line Hubbard were formed, with four replicates. In the control treatment, the chickens were fed with commercial mixtures of standard composition and quality based on corn flour and soybean meal. Experimental treatments were fed with the same commercial mixtures, except with addition of spices. At the end of the experiment and on the basis of gained results, it can be concluded that the chickens in experimental treatments with hot red pepper achieved statistically significantly (P < 0.05) higher final body masses (2460.6 and 2442.4 g) than did the chickens in the control and other treatments. Black pepper showed a positive and significant (P < 0.05) influence on improving the protein content in breast meat (24 g/100 g), hot red pepper lowered the cholesterol concentrations in meat (24.7 g/100 g in red meat), skin (87.4 g/100 g) and liver (263.1 g/100 g), while black pepper significantly (P < 0.05) reduced lipid oxidation in breast (0.05 mg MDA/kg tissue) and thigh with drumstick (0.12 mg MDA/kg tissue). On the basis of obtained findings, it can be concluded that the dietary spice herbs had a positive influence on a proximate composition of chicken meat, cholesterol concentrations and lipid oxidation process.

Honey’s unique qualities should last for several years when properly stored. Therefore, it is up to manufacturers to choose the right shelf life for their product while also considering the product’s nature. Physicochemical parameters (water content, electrical conductivity, free acidity, pH, ash, water-insoluble matter, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), sugar content and composition, and diastase activity) were analyzed in 24 samples of sunflower honey collected from several localities in Vojvodina, Serbia. Crystallization indices were also calculated. Furthermore, the impact of eighteen months of room temperature storage (22 ± 2 °C) in a dark place on selected physicochemical parameters (water, HMF, diastase activity, pH value, and free acidity) was investigated. The results of the initial test indicated that the tested samples of sunflower honey from Vojvodina is of good quality because the parameters under examination revealed results that were within the legal bounds of both national and European legislations. Eighteen months of storage at room temperature reduced diastase activity by 2 times, increased HMF content by about 17 times, and decreased the pH value of honey from a mean value of 3.66 to 3.56. The water content was relatively stable at 17.01% before storage and 16.29% after storage. The storage of sunflower honey did not have an impact on the free acidity.