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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions from routine life habits had a tremendous impact on psychological and physical health of youth. It is known that stress, anxiety and depression can be associated with the development of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and known to exacerbate present GI symptoms. The pandemic has forced many changes in the behavior of student population such as the studying in an asocial environment. The aim of this study was to examine and quantify the influence of stress onto the quality of life and GI symptoms in the student population in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), before and during the pandemic lockdown. Methods: A total of 279 students from B&H were assessed for their GI and emotional status in pre-COVID period and during the COVID period using validated instruments: GI symptom rating scale (GSRS), Visceral Sensitivity Index, and the Patient Health Questionnaire 15-item Somatic Symptom Severity Scale. Results: The results showed that moderate and severe GI symptoms were more frequently present among student population at the time of the pandemic than in period before pandemic. The most pronounced symptoms were bloating syndrome and abdominal pain syndrome according to the GSRS. Conclusions: We concluded that concern for one’s health and changed way of life are directly related to a worsening of the symptoms of GI disorders in the student population. Further research should go in the direction of early prevention of GI disorders that take root in early youth and later develop into chronic forms.

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Silene sendtneri Boiss. (Caryophyllaceae) is the Dinaric endemic plant species with white, decorative and scented flowers. Previous studies on this endemic species were based on morphology and effects on seed germination after the treatment with salicylic acid. However, no molecular genetic studies have been conducted on this species so far. This paper presents preliminary results of the usefulness of microsatellite loci created for cosmopolitan species in assessing the genetic diversity of endemic plant species. A total of 100 specimens were collected from 18 localities in the mountain regions of Treskavica, Igman, Bjelašnica and Ozren in Bosnia and Herzegovina. No S. sendtneri individuals were found at the mountain Trebević. We tested cross-amplification success and a polymorphism level for the set of microsatellite markers (Sil01, Sil03, Sil16, Sil31, Sil35) designed for the cosmopolitan species Silene nutans. In 100 analyzed individuals of S. sendtneri, Sil31 and Sil35 did not amplify, Sil01 was monomorphic and the remaining two loci showed a high level of allelic diversity. Our findings suggest that caution should therefore be exercised in selecting microsatellite markers designed for cosmopolitan plant species in the analyses of endemic species of the same genus since different genetic factors affect the amplification success and polymorphism of the given loci. Attention should be given to the number of detected and effective alleles and their ratio, the success of locus amplification concerning the complete set of markers used, and the ratio of polymorphs to the total number of observed loci.

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