Extraction Techniques and Analytical Methods for Characterization of Active Compounds in Origanum Species.

Phytochemical research based on ethnopharmacology is gaining interest in industries such as functional food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Plants and plant extracts are a rich source of bioactive secondary metabolites. These compounds are often involved in plant protection against biotic or abiotic stresses. The exploitation of available technologies should be oriented and intensified to extend and enhance the continued usefulness of the plants as renewable sources of chemicals, especially medicinal compounds. This current contribution is focused on extraction and analytical techniques for their isolation from the oregano species, their characterization and their potential antioxidative, as well as their antimicrobial, antifungal and anticarcinogenic properties. The work is structured rendering to the different steps involved in the research; starting with extraction and sample preparation, followed by discussing the analytical techniques employed for the isolation and identification of compound/s responsible for the biological activity and methods and techniques for biological activity assessment.

Determined and declared nicotine content in refill liquids for electronic cigarettes marketed in North Macedonia.

The use of electronic cigarettes or vaping has been gaining momentum among Macedonian smokers but has also raised great many concerns about the toxicity of liquid refills and its aerosols, especially as the nicotine levels in refill liquids (e-liquids) are not required to be declared accurately or at all by current regulations. The aim of this study was therefore to determine nicotine levels in fifteen samples of e-liquids purchased in specialised shops in Macedonia using gas chromatography. Nicotine concentrations deviated from manufacturer's declarations in nine of the twelve samples: in five they were higher and in four lower than declared, ranging from -16.7 % to +30.0 %. These significant discrepancies between the actual and declared nicotine concentrations in the analysed e-liquids call for closer attention of the healthcare and the regulating authorities.