Copper production in the Bor region (east Serbia) during the last 100 years has influenced the quality of soil, water, and air. This pollution has endangered not only the biotope but all living organisms, including humans. Contents of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) were analyzed in Betula sp. (birch) and Tillia sp. (lime) within the Bor region with the aim to investigate the bioaccumulation of these highly toxic, nonessential trace elements in selected plants, which may be important for biomonitoring and bioremediation purposes. The results of statistical data analysis showed that several factors influenced the bioaccumulation of trace elements in the examined plants, of which soil pH, soil content, and mechanism of accumulation were the main factors. The greatest As and Cd concentrations were found in plant material from the Bor center sampling site in the urban/industrial zone, which is in close proximity to the pollution source, due to the greatest metal concentrations in soil and the lowest soil pH. The low values of biological accumulation coefficients (bioconcentration factor <1, mobility ratio <1) pointed to a low rate of uptake and accumulation of As and Cd in lime and birch. Trace elements showed different patterns of behavior and accumulation in the trees. Lime showed a high ability of assimilation through leaves, whereas birch showed a better potential to express a linear correlation between concentrations in plant parts and soil.

The aim of this research was to determine the total phenolic and flavonoid contents as well as to measure antioxidant activity of 24 different commercial beers consumed in Serbia.The major phenolic acids (gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 2,5- dihydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, salicylic), (+)-catechin, and (-)-epicatechin were also determined by high pressure liquid chromatography method using a photodiode array detector. Gallic acid, ferulic acid, and protocatechuic acid are the most abundant phenolic acids in all samples, followed by (+)-catechin. The total phenolic content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. The total flavonoids were measured using spectrophotometrics as the aluminum chloride assay. The results showed that the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents were established in dark and light beer samples. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhidrazyl radical scavenging activity, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation scavenging activity, and ferric reducing/antioxidant power were used to assess the antioxidant potential of beers. These assays, based on different chemical mechanisms, were selected to take into account the wide variety and range of action of antioxidant compounds present in selectedbeer samples. All beers showed antioxidant power, but a wide range of antioxidant capacities was observed. Statistical differences between ferric reducing-antioxidant power and the other two antioxidant capacity assays were confirmed. This study will be useful for the appraisal of phenolic profile and antioxidant activities of various beers, and it will also be of interest for people who like drinking this beverage.

In this study, the samples of the spatial soil and organs of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera) cultivar Tamjanika were collected from the selected zones near the Mining and Smelting Complex Bor (East Serbia). They were analyzed by ICP-OES to determine the content of Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Cd, and Ni with the aim of ascertaining if these data may help in the assessment and improvement of the quality of environment in polluted areas such as Bor and its surrounding area. The results obtained from the calculated biological and enrichment factors, as well as from the Pearson correlation study and hierarchical cluster analysis confirmed that very useful information is recorded in plant organs: root, stem, leaves, and fruit. Yet, when the atmospheric pollution is the sphere of interest, the most informative data are found in unwashed leaves. The results of this study indicated also that the investigated plant species has some highly effective strategies involved in tolerance to the stress induced by heavy metals, which makes it an excellent candidate for phytostabilization purposes. Planting of this grapevine cultivar can be recommended in all areas that are severely polluted with heavy metals.

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Based on the detected content of analysed elements it can be concluded that nuts may be a good additional source of minerals as micronutrients.