In order to minimise human exposure to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) the levels of this highly carcinogenic mycotoxin in milk, heat-treated milk, and other dairy products have been limited to <0.05 μg kg-1. However, its removal from dairy products presents a challenge for dairy producers, as commercial additives change organoleptic properties, and filtration alone yields poor results. The aim of this study was to find a strain of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from milk or dairy products that most effectively binds AFM1 and to see whether heat treatment of the selected LAB affects the binding efficiency. We also wanted to investigate whether centrifugation can improve filtering of the obtained AFM1-LAB complexes from milk. To do that, we isolated and identified 10 native LAB species/strains, incubated their viable or heat-treated cells (108 CFU mL-1) in milk spiked with 0.5 μg L-1of AFM1 at 4 °C for 0, 2, 4, and 24 h, and quantified the amount of unbound AFM1 with HPLC. AFM1 binding efficiency ranged from 21 to 92 % for viable cells and from 26 to 94 % for the heattreated ones. Since both viable and heat-treated Lactobacillus plantarum KM showed the best results, we used it for the next step in AFM1 removal from milk. Heat treatment in combination with filtration and centrifugation yielded removal as high as 96 %.

The aim of the study was to investigate health safety and quality of the Croatian acacia honey, the selected elements in the soil, and whether multivariate methods can provide identification of the origin of honey. The study included 200 acacia honey samples and 100 soil samples from East, Northwest Croatia, and Istria. The proportion of acacia in honey was determined by conducting pollen analysis. Water, free acids, electric conductivity, reducing sugars, saccharose, diastase, and HMF were determined. No significant differences were found using Kruskal-Wallis test regarding the physicochemical parameters (p=0.9190), the mineral content of honey (p=0.8955), or the mineral composition of the soil (p=0.8789). No significant correlation was found between the analyzed elements in honey and soil. Multivariate methods indicated that East Croatia honey samples have higher concentrations of water, HMF, and higher concentrations of measured elements, except for Al. Honey samples from Northwest Croatia are characterized by low concentrations of elements and a higher concentration of saccharose. The Istria samples are richer in reducing sugars, free acids, diastase, higher conductivity, higher content of the acacia pollen grains, and lower concentrations of most metals. Honey from Northwest Croatia and Istria shares the high concentration of Al in honey.

Milk containing aflatoxin M1 (ATM1) in quantities above 0.05 µg/kg is considered unsuitable for consumption. It is possible to use mycotoxin deactivators that bind aflatoxin M1 and allow the further use of milk. The study aimed to examine the impact of selected mycotoxin deactivators (beta-glucan from yeast and oats, and live and dead lactic acid bacteria) on the nutritional composition of milk after binding to aflatoxin M1 intentionally added to milk. The study used consumption milk with 2.8% milk fat intentionally contaminated with aflatoxin M1. Furthermore, 0.05% and 0.1% solutions of beta-glucan from yeast and beta-glucan from oats were added to the contaminated milk, as well as live and dead lactic acid. Concentrations of Na, K, Mg, and Ca were monitored at the zero hour of binding of mycotoxin deactivators and ATM1, after 2 h of binding, and after 4 and 24 h of binding. The largest deviations were found in Na, K, and Mg, while the minimum changes were observed in Ca. Live lactic acid bacteria were found to have the least impact on micronutrients, except in Na (difference = 40, p = 0.029, GES = 0.083), where the 0.1% solution from oats had the least impact on micronutrient content. The results of this study suggest that it is best to use live lactic acid bacteria where the different duration of action regarding nutrients, with the possible exception of Na, is not relevant, which indicates that, when using this mycotoxin deactivator, milk contaminated with ATM1 can be further used.

No abstract

Žitarice predstavljaju najrasprostranjeniju i najvažniju kulturu za prehranu ljudi. Važne su i kao sirovina u prehrambenoj industriji te čine osnovu piramide prehrane. Mlinski proizvodi također predstavljaju osnovne prehrambene proizvode. Glavni su mlinski proizvodi prekrupa, krupica i brašno. Magnezij je mineral koji je iznimno važan element u ljudskom organizmu. Zauzima četvrto mjesto po zastupljenosti kationa u organizmu te je drugi najčešći u stanicama. Ima važnu ulogu za katalitičku aktivnost više od 300 enzima u enzimatskim sustavima. Najvažniji je za pravilan rad srca te kao regulator fosfora i kalcija u kostima. Cilj je ovog rada utvrditi količinu magnezija u odabranim žitaricama i mlinskim proizvodima te prikazati zdravstvenu dobrobit magnezija. Tijekom analize sastava žitarica i mlinskih proizvoda analizirano je sveukupno 28 uzoraka. Od toga je bilo pet uzoraka kukuruza u zrnu, sedam uzoraka pšenice, 11 uzoraka pšeničnog brašna, brašno od integralne heljde bez glutena, zobena kaša, prosena kaša, kaša zobi, ječma i pira te kaša riže, kukuruza i heljde. Analiza je provedena na Nastavnom zavodu za javno zdravstvo „Dr. Andrija Štampar”. Magnezij je nakon digestije s nitratnom kiselinom i vodikovim peroksidom u mikrovalnoj pećnici određen induktivno spregnutom plazmom s masenom spektrometrijom (ICP-MS). Količine magnezija u žitaricama iznosile su od 81,92 mg / 100 g do 145,21 mg / 100 g za pšenicu te od 111,68 mg / 100 g do 145,21 mg / 100 g za kukuruz. Prosječna vrijednost magnezija iznosila je 105,81 mg / 100 g za uzorke pšenice te 133,72 mg / 100 g za uzorke kukuruza u zrnu. Količina magnezija utvrđena u pšeničnom brašnu kretala se u rasponu od 23,17 mg / 100 g do 60,41 mg / 100 g, dok je srednja vrijednost magnezija iznosila 34,56 mg / 100 g. Količina magnezija u brašnu od integralne heljde bez glutena iznosila je 226,32 mg / 100 g. Utvrđena količina magnezija u zobenoj kaši, prosenoj kaši, kaši zobi, ječma i pira te kaši riže, kukuruza i heljde kretala se u rasponu od 76,77 mg / 100 g do 153,61 mg / 100 g. Srednja vrijednost magnezija za uzorke kaše iznosila je 122,98 mg / 100 g.