Ljiljana Primorac

Daily dietary intake of selenium in eastern Croatia.

Data on the selenium content in the soil and human milk in eastern Croatia indicate a possibility of inadequate Se status of people in the area. In order to determine the daily dietary intake of Se in eastern Croatia, a 7-day duplicate diet study was performed. There were 41 participants (18-53 years old; 14 males and 27 females). Selenium measurement was carried out in a HG-AAS. The average daily Se intake in the area is 27.3 micrograms. A significant difference (P < 0.05) exists between male (32.2 micrograms) and female (24.8 micrograms) participants. Percentage of optimum Se intake shows an inverse association with the increasing age of subjects (r = 0.43; P < 0.01). Relationship between Se intake and intakes of different foods (cereal products, milk and dairy products, meat, fish, etc.) was also examined. The sub-optimal Se intake (RDA is 55 micrograms/day for women and 70 micrograms/day for men) is a reflection of low Se levels in the environment, so supplementation of fertilizers with Se should be considered.

Adolescent acceptance of different foods by obesity status and by sex

This work investigated possible differences in food preference between obese and normal-weight adolescents, as well as between female and male seventh-grade pupils (average age = 13.1 years). Survey of affinities for nine food groups was determined with a facial hedonic scale. The children were divided according to their BMI into normal-weight and obese group, respectively. In this sample of adolescents, we could not find any proof for the theory of increased preference for fattening foods by obese compared to normal-weight people. In fact, our normal-weight group showed greater liking of sweets, meat, and cereals than the obese group. Normal-weight boys also preferred meat and sweets more than normal-weight girls. We consider psychological and social factors (e.g., perception of ideal body shape or social stigmatism of obesity) as the most logical explanations for the observed differences. Further research should clarify whether food preference plays a significant role in the etiology of adolescent obesity.

Copper and zinc content in human milk in Croatia

The aim of this paper was to research whether there had been any statistically significant difference in the content of Cu and Zn in human milk depending on the social status of women (refugee and non-refugee), age, number of deliveries, days after delivery, weight gained by nursing women and smoking habits, as well as whether the infants had received sufficient quantities of these elements. The elements were determined by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. The samples were collected in the Clinical Hospital Osijek and Refugee Centre Nabrde, near Osijek, Eastern Croatia. The Cu in human milk ranged from 0.27 mg/l to 1.35 mg/l, and Zn from 0.62 mg/l to 15.0 mg/l. The mean levels of Cu and Zn for each group, formed according to the results of the questionnaire are presented too. Calculated daily dietary intake of these elements accords with the RDA.

Honey botanical origin determination by electronic nose

Summary Four different honey types (Acacia, Robinia pseudoacacia; chestnut, Castanea sativa; lime, Tilia sp.; sage, Salvia officinalis) from Croatia were analysed using an electronic nose to capture the aroma profile. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models were used to determine the botanical origin of honey samples. Overall accurate classification was over 90% which suggests that an electronic nose could be used as fast screening method for the determination of honey botanical origin.

Fat and fatty acids intake of adults in eastern Croatia

The objective of this work was to determine dietary intake of total fat and fatty acids in adults in eastern Croatia. Thirty nine participants (25 women and 14 men) took part in a duplicate diet study. Total fat was extracted from the duplicated portions using a method by Bligh and Dyer, and fatty acids were determined using a GC analysis after methylation with boron trifluoride. Mean fat and fatty acids intakes for all subjects expressed as percentage of daily energy intake (% E) were: 33.4%, 9.9%, 11.8%, 9.0%, and 0.7% for total fat, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fatty acids, respectively. The differences between sexes were not significant when expressed as % E. Also, a very low intake of linolenic acid (0.5% E), and a high linoleic acid/linolenic acid ratio (17.1), were noted. Because of the health implications of such an imbalance, further research on the prevalence of this in general population is warranted. Nevertheless, these results indicate a need for a more aggressive education of the public on health benefits of n-3 fatty acids and on their dietary sources.

Croatian produced unifloral honey characterized according to the protein and proline content and enzyme activities

Abstract In honey, the content of proteins, including the enzymes, is relatively low and has a minor nutritive significance. On the other hand, the proteins, including the enzymes, are usually used as honey quality evaluation parameters. This is because protein content and enzyme activities vary regarding the botanical origin of the honey. Since the results of protein content, glucose-oxidase, and acid phosphatase, for honeys produced in Croatia, are not available, four of the most abundant honey types produced in Croatia (black locust, sage, chestnut, and honeydew honey) are characterised according to the protein and proline content and enzyme activities. The characterisation was done to determine specificities and contribute to the characterisation of unifloral honeys. Dark honey types (honeydew and chestnut honey) had a higher proline content, and diastase, invertase, and glucose-oxidase activity than lighter sage and black locust honey. Black locust honey has a naturally low enzyme activity and showed the highest acid phosphatase activity among the analysed honey types, while honeydew honey, otherwise known to possess high proline content and enzyme activity, had a low protein content comparable to black locust honey. Statistically significant correlations were obtained between all analysed parameters, with the exception of acid phosphatase activity.

Intake of vitamins among clinically healthy adults from continental Croatia estimated by 24-h recall

The role of vitamins in nutrition of the Croatian population is still underestimated and insufficiently investigated although they have important protective effects in human health. The aim of this research was to examine vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, niacin and ascorbic acid intake in 120 adults, aged 18–54 years (mean 33.8 years). The research was conducted using a 24-h recall method, and was repeated 10 times during 1 year. Participants were separated according to age into two groups (≤30 years, and > 30 years), as well as according to sex. There were no significant differences in vitamins intake between age groups. When divided by sex, significant difference in vitamins intake was found. When nutritive density was considered, significant difference was found for more vitamins regarding age, and less regarding sex. In conclusion, considering recommendations, the examined population took adequate amounts of vitamins.

Characterization of Croatian Rape (Brassica sp.) Honey by Pollen Spectrum, Physicochemical Characteristics, and Multielement analysis by ICP-OES

Rape (Brassica sp.) unifloral honey from Croatia was characterized by certain physicochemical parameters, micro- and macroelement content, and pollen spectrum, as determined in 21 honey samples. The Brassica sp. pollen type was predominant in the analyzed samples and ranged between 60 and 98%, with Trifolium spp., Robinia pseudoacacia, Rosaceae, Helianthus annuus, Salix spp., and Taraxacum officinale as the main accompanying pollen types. The electrical conductivity mean value was 0.22 ± 0.05 mS/cm and the glucose/fructose ratio mean value was 1.1 ± 0.07, whereas sucrose was absent in the samples. The most abundant macroelement was potassium (K) (268.49 mg/kg), followed by phosphorus (P) (60.23 mg/kg), calcium (Ca) (54.02 mg/kg), sodium (Na) (22.52 mg/kg), sulfur (S) (15.79 mg/kg), and magnesium (Mg) (12.58 mg/kg). Toxic elements were mainly bellow the LODs; only arsenic (As) concentration was detectable in higher amount (0.233 mg/kg), which may be related to the high arsenic concentration in the soil and groundwater of eastern Croatia. The differences between the two harvesting seasons observed in a large number of elements could be related to climatic and soil conditions and different nectar yields originating from the associated plant species.

Correction to: Characterization of Croatian Honeys by Right-Angle Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Chemometrics

The original version of this article unfortunately contained an incorrect version of author’s names and surnames (underlined). The correct names and surnames are: “Ivica Strelec”, “Lidija Brodar”, “Ivana Flanjak”, “Frane Čačić Kenjerić”, “Tihomir Kovač”, “Daniela Čačić Kenjerić”, “Ljiljana Primorac”.

Determination of (2E)-10-hydroxydec-2-enoic acid in Croatian royal jelly by high-performance liquid chromatography

Although health-promoting properties of royal jelly are known for many years, the absence of quality standards and methods prescribed for their determination leads to royal jelly adulteration. Royal jelly is a source of unique unsaturated fatty acid, (2E)-10-hydroxydec-2-enoic acid (10-HDA), and its content is considered as one of the freshness and authenticity parameter. In this study, high performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC) with UV detection was validated and 10-HDA content in fresh royal jelly samples produced in Eastern Croatia was determined. The data about Croatian royal jelly are not available, therefore the results presented in this study could be considered as pioneer results for Croatian royal jelly characterization in respect of the 10-HDA. Method performance characteristics showed that the used method is fit for purpose. The content of 10-HDA in analysed samples varied from 1.56% up to 3.78%. According to the international recommendations for royal jelly quality, samples were fresh and authentic regarding 10-HDA content. Furthermore, the effect of packaging material on 10-HDA content was observed. Based on the obtained results, the conclusion was reached that if the samples were collected at the same time and frozen after collection, collection and storage of fresh royal jelly in glass and plastic containers had no effect on 10-HDA content.