Elemental Profile and Health Risk of Fruska Gora Wines.

The elemental composition of wine is influenced by endogenous sources and interventions from winemakers. The ICP-MS analysis of Fruska Gora wines (113) from vintages spanning across a decade (2011-2020), produced by 30 wineries and representing 18 autochthonous and international wine varieties, allowed a comprehensive insight into their elemental composition. Based on the mean concentrations of 23 investigated elements, B, Fe, and Mn, which were determined in mg per L of wine regardless of its colour or origin, were the most abundant. Red and white wines showed significant concentration differences in the case of B, Mn, and Sr (higher in red) as well as Be, Al, V, As, Mo, and Pb (higher in white). The elements of the highest toxicological concern were found in all (Pb and As) or almost all of the samples (Cd and Hg). Pb levels (maximum 47.1, 61.6, and 73.2 µg/L in red, rose, and white, respectively) were well below the legal limit. The applied risk assessment approaches (hazard quotient and index, margin of exposure) revealed no health concerns associated with consumption of Fruska Gora wines, except for a slightly increased lifetime cancer risk in the case of high wine consumption, and thus supported the promotion of Fruska Gora wines in the highly competitive international market.

Safety Assessment of Herbal Food Supplements: Elemental Profiling and Associated Risk.

Increased usage of herbal food supplements by both the paediatric and adult populations prompted a health risk assessment study. The elemental profiles of 52 supplements collected in Serbia were obtained using ICP-MS. The calculated contribution to permitted daily exposure was in compliance with the guidelines for elemental impurities: up to 46.8% for Pb (infants), 67.2% for Cu (toddlers), 6.8% for As (preschool children), and 8.0% for Hg (adolescents). Hazard quotients indicated high exposure of toddlers to Cu (100.9%) and Zn (112.7%), although by only one supplement, for which hazard indices ranged from 229 to 105% (aligning from toddlers to adolescents). Based on the margin of exposure, As and Pb were not of safety concern. Conversely, the proportion of supplements exceeding the acceptable level of lifetime cancer risk due to As exposure varied from 41.9% in adolescents to 54.3% in adults. Simultaneous use of multiple supplements over a prolonged period of time could further deepen health concerns.

Electrical microcurrent to prevent conditioning film and bacterial adhesion to urological stents.

Long-term catheters remain a significant clinical problem in urology due to the high rate of bacterial colonization, infection, and encrustation. Minutes after insertion of a catheter, depositions of host urinary components onto the catheter surface form a conditioning film actively supporting the bacterial adhesion process. We investigated the possibility of reducing or avoiding the buildup of these naturally forming conditioning films and of preventing bacterial adhesion by applying different current densities to platinum electrodes as a possible catheter coating material. In this model we employed a defined environment using artificial urine and Proteus mirabilis. The film formation and desorption was analyzed by highly mass sensitive quartz crystal microbalance and surface sensitive atomic force microscopy. Further, we performed bacterial staining to assess adherence, growth, and survival on the electrodes with different current densities. By applying alternating microcurrent densities on platinum electrodes, we could produce a self regenerative surface which actively removed the conditioning film and significantly reduced bacterial adherence, growth, and survival. The results of this study could easily be adapted to a catheter design for clinical use.