The aim of the present research was to develop green and sustainable extraction procedure for β-carotene recovery from pumpkin. A series of hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) based onfatty acids were prepared to establish high extraction efficiency of β-carotene and to increase stability of extracted carotenoids from the pumpkin. To intensify extraction process, NADES composed of C8 and C10 fatty acids (3:1) was selected and coupled with ultrasound assisted extraction. Response surface methodology and artificial neural network model (ANN) model was adopted to analyze significance of extraction parameters demonstrating high prediction levels of the β-carotene yield, experimentally confirming the maximum β-carotene content of 151.41 µg/mL at the optimal process condition. Extracted carotenoids in the optimal NADES extract have shown high stability during the storing period of 180 days. A switchable-hydrophilicity eutectic solvent system has been introduced as a successful way to recover extracted carotenoids from the NADES solvent. It was capable of precipitating 90% of carotenoids present in the extract. The proposed procedure is simple, easily scalable and has minimal impact on operators and the environment.

The aim of this international study was to investigate the prevalence of the use of sports supplements among young athletes, as well as their knowledge and attitudes towards sports supplementation. Organized survey study testing the level of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices concerning the use of sports supplements was administered to 348 athletes, 15–18 year olds from 4 countries competing in 18 sports at the international level. The prevalence rate of the intake of sports supplements was 82.2%, with the protein supplements being predominant (54.5%). Coaches were identified as the primary source of information regarding supplementation (41.4%). The enhancement of athletic performance (35.4%) was the major motivation for the supplements intake. The majority of athletes (72.1%) were aware of associated health risks. The young athletes possess varying levels of knowledge regarding their own supplementation. The obtained data about the level of knowledge were statistically analyzed using the correspondence analysis. Less than 40% of athletes had the knowledge about the proper and intended use of protein, creatine, amino acids, beta alanine and glutamine, while they had greater understanding about vitamins and minerals, sports drinks and caffeine. The athletes in developed countries had greater access and utilization of professional resources such as dieticians. Young athletes are still unfamiliar with WADA regulations (55.5%), and the misuse of sports supplements represents an ethical dilemma for some. These findings indicate the necessity of a comprehensive education of all team members about sports supplements and careful supervision of the athletic development of young athletes.

The aim of the present study was to determine the bioactive compounds in four essential oils (EO’s) from Origanum heracleoticum, Origanum vulgare, Thymus vulgaris and Thymus serpyllum and to assess their antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity against Salmonella Enteritidis. Strains were previously characterized depending on the expression of the extracellular matrix components cellulose and curli fimbriae as rdar (red, dry and rough) and bdar morphotype (brown, dry and rough). This study revealed that the EO’s and EOC’s (carvacrol and thymol) investigated showed inhibition of biofilm formation at sub-minimum inhibitory concentration. Comparing the efficacy of EO’s and EOC’s in the inhibition of biofilm formation between the strains with different morphotype (rdar and bdar) did not show a statistically significant difference. Results related to the effectiveness of EO’s and EOC’s (the essential oil components, carvacrol and thymol) on eradication of preformed 48 h old biofilms indicated that biofilm reduction occurred in a dose-dependent manner over time.