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This study aimed to investigate the effect of ancient wheat flour type and sourdough fermentation time on the nutritional, textural and sensorial properties of fiber-rich sourdough bread. The proximate composition, minerals, carbohydrates, organic acids, volatiles, total phenolic content, simulated gastrointestinal digestion, textural and sensorial characteristics were investigated. Bread's minerals, total phenolics, cellulose contents and radical scavenging activity variations clearly indicates an increasing trend with sourdoughs fermentation time. Compared to maltose and glucose, fructose was predominant in all bread samples. Sourdough fermentation time and wheat type had non-significant influence on fructose content from digested fraction. Excepting emmer bread, fermentation time increased in vitro digestibility values for tested samples. The crumb textural parameters (hardness, gumminess, chewiness, cohesiveness and springiness index) were positively influenced by fermentation time. The specific clustering of the analysed characteristics distinguished emmer bread from other samples in terms of volatile compounds, textural and overall acceptability, being preferred by panellists.
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This study aimed to compare the nutritional, phytochemical, and sensory characteristics of wheat flour (WF) cookies enriched with different proportions of lupin sprout flour (LSF) and those with different proportions of lupin green sprout (LGS). To achieve this, a control cookie (CC); three cookies with 10%, 20%, and 30% of LSF, respectively, CLSF1, CLSF2, and CLSF3; and three other cookies (CLGS1, CLGS2, and CLGS3) with 10%, 20%, and 30%, respectively, were produced. The proximate composition of each cookie was analyzed using AOAC methods. Also, the measurements of the total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, individual polyphenols, glycemic index, and a sensory analysis were carried out using recent and accurate methods. The contribution of the main nutrients from 100 g of product to the required daily dose was also calculated. Data analysis revealed that cookies with LSF were richer than cookies with LGS in protein, fat, and energy values. CLGS3 was 35.12%, 1.45%, and 5.0% lower in protein, fat, and energy content than CLSF3, respectively. On the other hand, CLSF3 was lower than CLGS3, with 48.2% and 12.4% in moisture and mineral substances, respectively. Both cookies were lower in carbohydrates than the CC (65.20 g/100 g). Still on the subject of micro- and macronutrients, cookies with LSF were richer than those with LGS in all the minerals analyzed. The study also revealed improvements in phytochemical properties, such as total and individual polyphenols and antioxidant activity with the percentage of lupin sprout flour addition. The sensory analysis revealed that, for LSF and LGS cookies, the 10% samples were the most appreciated by consumers, irrespective of the sensory attributes studied. The glycemic index of the CLSF2 product was lower compared to the CC. This study shows that the LSF cookies have better nutritional, phytochemical, and sensory values than the LGS cookies. LSF is, therefore, better suited than LGS to the enrichment of bakery products in general and cookies in particular. The paper provides significant information to estimate the contribution of the consumption of functional products based on lupin sprouts to the required daily dose of food nutrients and the impact on the glycemic index of fortified products.
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Industry represents a fundamental component of modern society, with the generation of massive amounts of industrial waste being the inevitable result of development activities in recent years. Red mud is an industrial waste generated during alumina production using the Bayer process of refining bauxite ore. It is a highly alkaline waste due to the incomplete removal of NaOH. There are several opinions in both the literature and legislation on the hazards of red mud. According to European and national legislation, this mud is not on the list of hazardous wastes; however, if the list of criteria are taken into account, it can be considered as hazardous. The complex processing of red mud is cost-effective because it contains elements such as iron, manganese, sodium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, strontium, lead, copper, cadmium, bismuth, barium and rare earths, especially scandium. Therefore, the selection of an extraction method depends on the form in which the element is present in solution. Extraction is one of the prospective separation and concentration methods. In this study, we evaluated the kinetic modelling of the solid-liquid acid extraction process of predominantly scandium as well as other elements present in red mud. Therefore, three acids (HCl, HNO3 and H2SO4) at different concentrations (10, 20 and 30%) were targeted for the extraction of Sc(III) from solid red mud. Specific parameters of the kinetics of the extraction process were studied, namely the solid:liquid ratio, initial acid concentration, contact time and temperature. The extraction kinetics of Sc(III) with acids was evaluated using first- and second-order kinetic models, involving kinetic parameters, rate constants, saturation concentration and activation energy. The second-order kinetic model was able to describe the mechanism of Sc(III) extraction from red mud. In addition, this study provides an overview on the mechanism of mass transfer involved in the acid extraction process of Sc(III), thereby enabling the design, optimization and control of large-scale processes for red mud recovery.
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Metabolomics is an advanced technology, still under development, with multiple research applications, especially in the field of health. Individual metabolic profiles, the functionality of the body, as well as its interaction with the environment, can be established using this technology. The body's response to various external factors, including the food consumed and the nutrients it contains, has increased researchers' interest in nutrimetabolomics. Establishing correlations between diet and the occurrence of various diseases, or even the development of personalized nutrition plans, could contribute to advances in precision medicine. The interdependence between humans, animals, and the environment is of particular importance today, with the dramatic emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases, food, water and soil contamination, and the degradation of resources and habitats. All these events have led to an increase in risk factors for functional diseases, burdening global health. Thus, this study aimed to highlight the importance of metabolomics, and, in particular, nutrimetabolomics, as a technical solution for a holistic, collaborative, and precise approach for the advancement of the One Health strategy.
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The aim of this paper is to improve the nutritional quality of bakery products by replacing wheat flour (WF) with different proportions (10%, 20%, and 30%) of baobab flour (BF). The composite flours and bread obtained were evaluated from nutritional, physical-chemical, phytochemical, organoleptic, and rheological points of view. The results obtained show that BF is a rich source of minerals (K: 13,276.47 ± 174 mg/kg; Ca: 1570.67 ± 29.67 mg/kg; Mg: 1066.73 ± 9.97 mg/kg; Fe: 155.14 ± 2.95 mg/kg; Na: 143.19 ± 5.22 mg/kg; and Zn: 14.90 ± 0.01 mg/kg), lipids (1.56 ± 0.02 mg/100 g), and carbohydrates (76.34 ± 0. 06 mg/100 g) as well as for the phytochemical profile. In this regard, the maximum contents for the total polyphenols content (TPC) were recorded in the case of bread with 30% BF (297.63 ± 1.75 mg GAE/100 g), a total flavonoids content (TFC) of 208.06 ± 0.002 mg QE/100 g, and 66.72 ± 0.07% for antioxidant activity (AA). Regarding the physical-chemical, rheological, and organoleptic analysis, the bread sample with 10% BF (BWB1) was the best among the samples with different proportions of BF. It presented a smooth, porous appearance (73.50 ± 0.67% porosity) and an elastic core (85 ± 0.27% elasticity) with a volume of 155.04 ± 0.95 cm3/100 g. It had better water absorption (76.7%) than WF (55.8%), a stability of 5.82 min, and a zero-gluten index. The scores obtained by BWB1 for the organoleptic test were as follows: Appearance: 4.81; color: 4.85; texture: 4.78; taste: 4.56; flavor: 4.37; and overall acceptability: 4.7. This study shows that BF improved the nutritional quality of the product, organoleptic properties, α-amylase activity, viscosity, and phytochemical profile, resulting in composite flour suitable for the production of functional bread.
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Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to public health globally. It is a slower-moving pandemic than COVID-19, so we are fast running out of treatment options. Purpose: Thus, this study was designed to search for an alternative biomaterial with broad-spectrum activity for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial and fungal pathogen-related infections. Methods: We isolated Streptomyces species from soil samples and identified the most active strains with antimicrobial activity. The culture filtrates of active species were purified, and the bioactive metabolite extracts were identified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the bioactive metabolites against MDR bacteria and fungi were determined using the broth microdilution method. Results: Preliminary screening revealed that Streptomyces misakiensis and S. coeruleorubidus exhibited antimicrobial potential. The MIC50 and MIC90 of S. misakiensis antibacterial bioactive metabolite (ursolic acid methyl ester) and antifungal metabolite (tetradecamethylcycloheptasiloxane) against all tested bacteria and fungi were 0.5 µg/ml and 1 µg/mL, respectively, versus S. coeruleorubidus metabolites: thiocarbamic acid, N,N-dimethyl, S-1,3-diphenyl-2-butenyl ester against bacteria (MIC50: 2 µg/ml and MIC90: 4 µg/mL) and fungi (MIC50: 4 µg/ml and MIC90: 8 µg/mL). Ursolic acid methyl ester was active against ciprofloxacin-resistant strains of Streptococcus pyogenes, S. agalactiae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Salmonella enterica serovars, colistin-resistant Aeromonas hydrophila and K. pneumoniae, and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Tetradecamethylcycloheptasiloxane was active against azole- and amphotericin B-resistant Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, C. gattii, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, and A. fumigatus. Ursolic acid methyl ester was applied in vivo for treating S. aureus septicemia and K. pneumoniae pneumonia models in mice. In the septicemia model, the ursolic acid methyl ester-treated group had a significant 4.00 and 3.98 log CFU/g decrease (P < 0.05) in liver and spleen tissue compared to the infected, untreated control group. Lung tissue in the pneumonia model showed a 2.20 log CFU/g significant decrease in the ursolic acid methyl ester-treated group in comparison to the control group. The haematological and biochemical markers in the ursolic acid methyl ester-treated group did not change in a statistically significant way. Moreover, no abnormalities were found in the histopathology of the liver, kidneys, lungs, and spleen of ursolic acid methyl ester-treated mice in comparison with the control group. Conclusion: S. misakiensis metabolite extracts are broad-spectrum antimicrobial biomaterials that can be further investigated for the potential against MDR pathogen infections. Hence, it opens up new horizons for exploring alternative drugs for current and reemerging diseases.
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Anti-Infecciosos , COVID-19 , Staphylococcus aureus Resistente à Meticilina , Pneumonia , Sepse , Camundongos , Animais , Staphylococcus aureus , Antibacterianos/uso terapêutico , Anti-Infecciosos/farmacologia , Bactérias , Fungos , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana , Pneumonia/tratamento farmacológico , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Sepse/tratamento farmacológico , Ácido UrsólicoRESUMO
Heavy metals like cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), resulting from anthropogenic activities, are elements with high persistence in nature, being able to accumulate in soils, water, and plants with significant impact to human and animal health. This study investigates the phytoremediation capacity of Silphium perfoliatum L. as a specific heavy metal hyperaccumulator and the effects of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb on some physiological and biochemical indices by growing plants under floating hydroponic systems in nutrient solutions under the presence of heavy metals. One-year-old plants of S. perfoliatum grown for 20 days in Hoagland solution with the addition of (ppm) Cu-400, Zn-1200, Cd-20, Pb-400, and Cu+Zn+Cd+Pb (400/1200/20/400) were investigated with respect to the control. The level of phytoremediation, manifested by the ability of heavy metal absorption and accumulation, was assessed. In addition, the impact of stress on the proline content, photosynthetic pigments, and enzymatic activity, as being key components of metabolism, was determined. The obtained results revealed a good absorption and selective accumulation capacity of S. perfoliatum plants for the studied heavy metals. Therefore, Cu and Zn mainly accumulate in the stems, Cd in the roots and stems, while Pb mainly accumulates in the roots. The proline tended to increase under stress conditions, depending on the pollutant and its concentration, with higher values in leaves and stems under the associated stress of the four metals and individually for Pb and Cd. In addition, the enzymatic activity recorded different values depending on the plant organ, its type, and the metal concentration on its substrate. The obtained results indicate a strong correlation between the metal type, concentration, and the mechanisms of absorption/accumulation of S. perfoliatum species, as well as the specific reactions of metabolic response.
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The continuous development of bakery products as well as the increased demands from consumers transform ancient grains into alternatives with high nutritional potential for modern wheat species. The present study, therefore, follows the changes that occur in the sourdough obtained from these vegetable matrices fermented by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 during a 24 h. period. The samples were analyzed in terms of cell growth dynamics, carbohydrate content, crude cellulose, minerals, organic acids, volatile compounds, and rheological properties. The results revealed significant microbial growth in all samples, with an average value of 9 log cfu/g but also a high accumulation of organic acids with the increase in the fermentation period. Lactic acid content ranged from 2.89 to 6.65 mg/g, while acetic acid recorded values between 0.51 and 1.1 mg/g. Regarding the content of simple sugars, maltose was converted into glucose, and fructose was used as an electron acceptor or carbon source. Cellulose content decreased as a result of the solubilization of soluble fibers into insoluble fibers under enzymatic action, with percentages of 3.8 to 9.5%. All sourdough samples had a high content of minerals; the highest of which-Ca (246 mg/kg), Zn (36 mg/kg), Mn (46 mg/kg), and Fe (19 mg/kg)-were recorded in the einkorn sourdough.
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The aim of this study is to evaluate salivary remineralisation versus chemical remineralisation/infiltration of enamel, using different dentistry materials. The enamel changes were studied using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and the depth of lesions and demineralisation/remineralisation/infiltration percentage were calculated. Additionally, the macro elemental composition of the teeth was performed using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Two studies were performed: (i) demineralisation of enamel in 3% citric acid and infiltration treatment with infiltration resin (Icon, DMG), remineralisation with Fluor Protector (Ivoclar Vivadent) and artificial saliva pH 8; and (ii) enamel demineralisation in saliva at pH 3 and remineralisation at salivary pH 8. The results showed that, firstly, for the remineralisation of demineralised enamel samples, Fluor Protector (Ivoclar Vivadent) was very effective for medium demineralised lesions followed by saliva remineralisation. In cases of deep demineralisation lesions where fluoride could not penetrate, low viscosity resin (Icon, DMG, Hamburg) effectively infiltrated to stop the demineralisation process. Secondly, remineralisation in salivary conditions needed supplementary study over a longer period, to analyse the habits, diet and nutrition of patients in detail. Finally, demineralisation/remineralisation processes were found to influence the macro elemental composition of enamel demineralisation, with natural saliva proving to be less aggressive in terms of decreasing Ca and Mg content.
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In this paper, we studied the scandium adsorption from aqueous solutions on the surface of low-temperature-activated alumina products (GDAH). The GDAH samples are industrially manufactured, coming from the Bayer production cycle of the Sierra Leone bauxite as aluminium hydroxide, and further, by drying, milling, classifying and thermally treating up to dehydroxilated alumina products at low temperature. All experiments related to hydroxide aluminium activation were conducted at temperature values of 260, 300 and 400 °C on samples having the following particle sizes: <10 µm, 20 µm, <45 µm and <150 µm, respectively. The low-temperature-activated alumina products were characterised, and the results were published in our previous papers. In this paper, we studied the scandium adsorption process on the above materials and related thermodynamic and kinetic studies.
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Óxido de Alumínio , Escândio , Adsorção , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Cinética , Temperatura , ÁguaRESUMO
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the nutritional, phytochemical, rheological, technological, and sensory properties of wheat flour dough and bread under a replacement of lupin flour at level 10, 20, and 30%. In this sense, the proximate composition, fatty acids profile, the content in total polyphenols content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA), and flavonoids content (TFC) of lupin; wheat and flour composites; and the bread obtained from them were determined. The rheological properties of the dough using the Mixolab system were also evaluated. The results showed an improvement in the nutritional properties of bread with addition of lupin in the composite flour, especially in terms of proteins, lipids, and mineral substances and a significant increases of functional attributes, such as TPC, TFC, and AA, which recorded the highest values in the bread with 30% lupin flour (76.50 mg GAE/100 g, 8.54 mg QE/100 g, 54.98%). The decrease of lupin bread volume compared to wheat bread ranged between 0.69-7.37%, porosity between 6.92-35.26%, elasticity between 63-70%, and H/D between 3.17-19.05%. The rheological profile of the dough obtained with lupin flours indicates a moderate stability and proper kneading behavior. The sensory analysis was also performed in order to identify the consumer's acceptability regarding this type of bread. According to a 5-point hedonic scale, the most highly appreciated was the bread with 10% lupin flour, which obtained mean scores of 4.73 for general acceptability as compared with control bread (4.43).
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Acheta domesticus (L.1758) has been recently accepted by the European Union as a novel food, being the third insect that has been approved for human consumption. Nowadays, researchers' attention is focused on exploiting new protein sustainable sources, and, therefore, insect flour has gained more and more interest. Organic acids, fatty acids, amino acids, aroma volatile compounds, and minerals were analyzed through HPLC-RID (High-performance liquid chromatography), GC-MS (Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), LC-MS (Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry), ITEX/GC-MS and AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry), respectively. Fermentation of the insect flour with Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 strain (Lp) leads to an increase in organic acids such as lactic, acetic, and oxalic, whilst citric acid decreases its value. SFA (saturated fatty acids) and MUFA (monosaturated fatty acids) groups were positively influenced by Lp fermentation; meanwhile, PUFA (polysaturated fatty acids) decreased during fermentation. A positive trend was observed for amino acids, aroma volatile content, and minerals enhancement during insect sourdough fermentation, mainly at 24 h of fermentation. Acheta domesticus (A. domesticus) sourdough fermentation represents a new tool that needs to be further exploited aiming to improve the nutritional qualities of the final products.
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Honey is a natural product with multiple health benefits. The paper presents the chemical characterization and the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of ten types of honey (knotweed, linden, wild cherry, acacia, honeydew, oilseed rape, sunflower, phacelia, plain polyflora and hill polyflora) from the Banat region, Romania. We studied the water content, dry matter, impurities, acidity and pH of honey. We also determined the content of reducing sugar, minerals and flavonoids and the total phenolic content. All honey samples analysed showed good nutritional characteristics according to the standard codex for honey. From the analysis of the mineral content of the honey samples, we observed a variability in the macro and microminerals, influenced by the botanical origin, ranging between 0.25% (wild cherry honey) and 0.54% (honeydew). The toxic metals' (Cd and Pb) levels met the standard for almost all samples analysed except for knotweed. The flavonoid content of the samples ranged from 9.29 mg QE/100 g for wild cherry honey to 263.86 mg QE/100 g for linden honey, and for polyphenols between 177.6 mgGAE/100 g for acacia honey and 1159.3 mgGAE/100 g for honeydew. The best antioxidant capacity was registered in the case of linden honey (79.89%) and honeydew (79.20%) and the weakest in acacia (41.88%) and wild cherries (50.4%). All studied honey samples showed antimicrobial activity, depending on the type of honey, concentration and strain analysed. The novelty of this study is given by the complex approach of the study of honey quality, both from the perspective of chemical attributes and the evaluation of the antimicrobial potential on specific strains in correlation with the botanical and geographical origin of the analyzed area.
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Acacia , Anti-Infecciosos , Mel , Acacia/química , Anti-Infecciosos/farmacologia , Antioxidantes/química , Flavonoides/química , Flavonoides/farmacologia , Mel/análise , Minerais/química , Fenóis/química , Romênia , TiliaRESUMO
Background: Quercetin's role in the homeostasis of certain trace elements in dyslipidemia induced in mice was assessed. Methods: Forty BALB/c mice were allocated into 4 groups as follows: control; HFD, received fat diet; HFD + Q group, received HFD +500 mg/L quercetin; and blank control (Q)-normal food + 500 mg/L quercetin in drinking water. Results: By analyzing the values of total proteins, albumins, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and the levels of several trace elements in blood and organs, we perceived a statistically significant increase ( ∗∗ , p < 0.01) of TP, ALB, TC, TGE, and LDL-c. A nonsignificant decrease was ascertained to HDL-c value in the HFD and quercetin groups (p > 0.05). In the HFD group, all analyzed elements in the kidney and spleen increased, also Cu, Li, Mg, Mn, Pb, and of B, Ba, Cr, Cd, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the heart increased, but furthermore, Ag, B, Ba, Cd, Cr, Fe, Ni, and Zn in blood, Ag and Zn in the liver, and Cd in the spleen decreased. In the HFD group who received quercetin, elements (except B) were decreased in kidney and liver, also increased Ag, Ba, Cr, Fe, Li, Ni, Zn in blood, but similarly, Ag, B, Ba, Cd, Cu, Mn, and Pb declined in the spleen and heart. Conclusions: Results proved the quercetin beneficial role.
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Walnut oilcake is a low-cost by-product of the edible oil industry but at the same time it is a valuable source of dietary fiber, natural antioxidants, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In the context of health-friendly confectionary food products and to reduce the production cost, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of walnut oilcake by-product on the quality characteristics and volatile profile of modified macarons. For this purpose, GC-MS and ITEX/GC-MS techniques were used to obtain the fatty acids methyl esters and the volatile profiles; physicochemical analyzes were performed to determine the nutritional characteristics and a nine-point hedonic scale test was performed for the sensory characteristics. The substitution of almond flour with 0%, 10%, 25% and 50% walnut oilcake powder increased the fiber, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity. Hedonic scores of the macaron samples made with different percentage of walnut oilcake decreased to additions of over 10%. Moreover, this result is emphasized by Pearson's correlation parameters indicating as optimal addition for modified macarons, percentages up to 10% of walnut oilcake. This approach could reduce the costs related to the acquisition of the ingredients due to the oilcake price which is 3% of the almonds flour price.
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Ácidos Graxos Voláteis/química , Juglans/química , Óleos de Plantas/química , FarinhaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: A clinically active structure with known antitumor activities is cisplatin (CDDP), but this it comes with toxicity characteristics which can be faded by the beneficial effects of Silver birch (Betula pendula) sap. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the cisplatin activity on: Mn, Mg, Cu, Fe and Zn homeostasis in rats and to observe the effect of birch sap. METHODS: Healthy Wistar rats (nâ¯=â¯10/group) were divided in four groups: Control: receiving 1â¯mL saline I.P. wayâ¯+â¯water; E1: cisplatin 20â¯mgâ¯kgbw-1, I.P.; E2: cisplatin 20â¯mgâ¯kgbw-1, I.P.â¯+â¯birch sap and Control sap group: 1â¯mL saline I.P.â¯+â¯birch sap. Blood was collected: at the trial's start and after 48â¯h, and blood and organs (liver, kidney and spleen) for the cytoarchitecture investigation and readings were sampled after seven days. Samples were processed in nitric acid by microwave digestion and readings were completed by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, the outcomes being statistically analyzed by ANOVA. RESULTS: Cisplatin produced a significant imbalance in the trace elements homeostasis, the birch sap administration recovering them usual homeostasis status. Comparatively with the Control, rats exposed to cisplatin presented a not significant (pâ¯>â¯0.05) decrease of Zn (-26.74%) and Mg (-10.25%), a significant (pâ¯<â¯0.05) decrease of Cu (-27.73%) at 48â¯h, a highly significant (pâ¯<â¯0.01) decrease of Cu (-56.08%) and Fe (-85.35%) at seven days after administration and a not significant (pâ¯>â¯0.05) increase of Mn (+28.16%). Birch sap administration after Cisplatin was followed by restoration or nevertheless significant increase (pâ¯<â¯0.05) of the investigated trace elements Zn (+56.88% to 48â¯h/+89.94% after seven days), Mg (+26.86%/+95.74%), Cu (+23.13%/+74.56%), Fe (+39.64%/+440.11%) and Mn (+4.30%/+15.87%), suggesting them defence against cisplatin. Histology revealed the order of main altered organs after the CDDP exposure: kidney, spleen and liver. CONCLUSIONS: The study recommended the important protective role of Betula pendula sap against diverse cisplatin deleterious side-effects.