Identification of patients with high level of fear of hospitalisation by this instrument should help clinicians to administer measures which may decrease fear and prevent avoidance of healthcare utilisation.

The ultrasound-assisted extraction of Juglans nigra L. leaves was optimized with respect to total phenolic content (TP) of the extracts by varying the concentration of aqueous ethanol solution (E) and different solvent-to-solid ratio (S). The influence and optimum of the operating parameters (E and S) was examined using response surface methodology (RSM). The statistical criteria indicated the adequacy, reliability and precision of the developed RSM model. RSM showed that maximum extraction yield of TP 28.59 mg g -1 of draw plant was achieved at the optimal values of 50% E and 20 kg kg -1 S. Using the modelled optimized conditions, the detected relative difference between the predicted and the experimental yield was ±2.3 %. The determined TP content in the extracts varied from 12.54 to 29.26 mg GAE g -1 of dry plant indicated that J. nigra is a valuable source of phenolic substances. The extracts of J. nigra leaves obtained under optimal conditions showed good antioxidant activity (IC 50 = = 18.91±0.03 μg cm -3 ) which was determined by the scavenging effect on 2,2--diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical. The optimization of the TP extraction process is the important step in improving techno-economics of the potential commercial preparation of J. nigra extracts, as natural source of antioxidants.(CC) 2018 SCS.1274 GAVRILOVIĆ et al. ivity of black walnut, as well as ability of black walnut to depress the tumour growth rate and to prevent lead induced testicular toxicity in rats. [2][3][4][5] The polyphenolic compounds, important parameters in assessing the quality of numerous natural products, are responsible for beneficial health effect these products exhibit. 6 The polyphenolic profiles of bark, sapwood and heartwood, leaves and husks from J. nigra were characterized using different polyphenols (juglone, α-hydrojuglone-4-glucoside, myricetin, myricitrin, sakuranetin, sakuranin, neosakuranin and o-diphenols). [7][8][9] The extraction of polyphenolic compounds from Juglans species has been carried out with methanol and ethanol as solvents. [10][11][12] In recent years two extraction methods such as ultrasound-assisted (US-AE) and microwave-assisted extractions have been used for the extraction of polyphenolic compounds from the leaves of Juglans species. 11,12 US-AE offers a series of advantages such as improved efficiency, reduced extraction time and temperature. 13,14 There several reports on the ultrasound-assisted extraction of polyphenols from J. regia leaves. 11,15 On the other hand, there is no data on US--AE of total phenolics (TP) from J.nigra leaves.Many factors, such as solvent concentration, temperature and extraction time, have been determined to influence the US-AE efficacy of polyphenolic compounds from J. regia leaves. 11 Optimization of ultrasound extraction and simultaneous microwave/ultrasonic-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from J. regia was assessed. 11,16 Despite the interesting properties of J. nigra and its extracts, there is lack of data regarding the optimal conditions for the pol...

Summary Phytopreparations, in addition to the pharmacological activity and positive effects on health, can lead to side effects, toxic effects, allergic reactions, as well as the interaction of conventional and herbal medicines. Despite this, there is a generally positive attitude that herbal medicines and herbal dietary supplements are safe and harmless to health and are most often used on its own initiative, without consultations with a pharmacist or a doctor. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire for measuring the general knowledge about phytopreparations. The study was designed as an observational, prospective cross-sectional study, intended for the valiation of the original epidemiological questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge about phytopreparations. The sample consisted of 218 respondents, who were visiting private pharmacies at the territory of Bijeljina, in February and March 2016. The final version of the questionnaire for the evaluation of knowledge about herbal preparations had good internal consistency (α= 0.849) and homogeneity when randomly splitting the questionnaire into two parts (α=0.731; 0.788). Exploratory factor analysis singled out two factors. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the questionnaire was a valid and reliable instrument for the evaluation of general knowledge about safety of use of phytopreparations. This is very important because the evaluation of knowledge could lead to undertaking measures for improving it, which would reduce the potential adverse reactions and interactions of herbal preparations with conventional drugs, and the application would become safe and optimal.

The objective of this paper was to assess the antiradical effectiveness of propolis extract (PE) based on 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•) bleaching assay kinetic profile. The kinetic profile of scavenging DPPH• for PE exhibited one kinetic period characterized by one kinetic constant. The second-order rate constant (k2) for the oxidation of PE by DPPH•, determined for the first time in this study, was 0.17 dm3g−1s−1. The obtained k2 value was compared to that of synthetic antioxidants and natural extracts used in the food industry. Kinetic analysis of PE antiradical effectiveness showed that the k2 was within the range values for natural colorants of fruit extracts and should be considered as a fast acting natural antioxidant source. The k2 parameter indicates the extent of oxidation inhibition that is based on all of the kinetic profiles of DPPH bleaching rather than single point measurements. For this reason, the kinetic analysis should become a necessary step for more precise antioxidative characterization of propolis.

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