Background: Vegetarian diets are rich in vegetables. Green leafy vegetables are foods that contain considerable amounts of nitrate, which can have both positive and negative effects on the human body. Their potential carcinogenicity and toxicity have been proven, particularly after the reduction of nitrate to nitrite itself or just serving as a reactant with amines and/or amides in the formation of N-nitroso compounds -N-nitrosamines and other nitrogen compounds which may have high levels of nitrate. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a significant difference, considering the location and seasonal sampling period, in the level of nitrate in certain types of green vegetables, all in order to be able to assess their intake, and possible impact on human health, especially knowing that exposure to nitrate can be potentially higher for vegetarian population group. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, the sampling of 200 different leafy green vegetables was conducted, all of which could be found in free sale in the Republic of Croatia. The sampling was conducted during two seasonal periods -the spring and autumn period. In the springtime, lettuce (sem), spinach (pinacho), kale (kale), chard (mangel) and cabbage (brassica) were sampled, and in autumn lettuce, spinach, kale, chard and arugula. Samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection. Results:The results from the spring sampling phase were in the range of 603 mg/kg for cabbage -972 mg/kg for chard, and for autumn phase of 1.024 mg/kg for chard to 4.354 mg/kg for the arugula. The results showed that there were significant differences (p <0.05) for most of the samples analyzed, considering the sampling locations and time period. Conclusion:The results indicate that the analyzed vegetables contain significant amounts of nitrate in their composition, which represents relatively significant, but still acceptable intake into the human body.

-Ginkgo biloba L. is the eldest plant growing on the Earth; preparations made of its leaves and seeds represent an integral part of the Chinese medicine for over a millennium. The plant species was first discovered by Linnaeus in 1771, its name thereby originating from the Latin words bis (two) and lobus (lobe), which duly illustrate the specific shape of its leaf. Contemporary Ginkgo biloba L. plant based pharmaceuticals mostly comprise extracts recovered from leaves harvested during fall, when the concentration of active components reaches its peak. Recent investigations have managed to establish the chemical composition of the plant leaf, together with the mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects on rheological profile of the blood and acceleration of its flow. High price of these preparations and their vast popularity have soon become an incentive for counterfeiting Ginkgo biloba L. extracts and the release of bogus drugs comprising cheaper extracts coming from other plants. Namely, modern Ginkgo biloba L.-based medicinal products and food supplements comprise extracts recovered from the plant leaf that get to be standardized according to its key pharmacological active components, most often flavone glycosides (represented in the share of 22%-27%) and terpene trilactones (represented in the share of 6%-7%). The flavonoids that predominate such preparations and are most relevant from the pharmacological standpoint are quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin, their total amount and mutual ratios, thereby being an unquestionable indicator of the extract authenticity. Therefore, most of the analyses aiming at verifying the authenticity of a given Ginkgo biloba L.-based product boil down to the analysis of these parameters. Counterfeiting involves partial or full replacement of the Ginkgo biloba L. extract (GBE) with a cheaper plant extract of a similar composition, the latter occasionally being enriched with an additional amount of flavonoids, most often quercetin, not

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.

International experience, as well as previous research in the Republic of Croatia, shows that successful identification and remediation of hazardous locations results in a significant reduction in the number of traffic accidents, especially those with the most severe consequences. One of the most important steps in the process of identifying and remediation hazardous locations is the direct inspection of the location on the ground by an expert team, which in the most relevant way identifies deficiencies on the road and related equipment. Total of 117 locations have been inspected in the Republic of Croatia in the past year, which represented potentially hazardous locations on state roads, of which 61 is in located in urban areas. Based on the reviews of potentially hazardous locations in urban areas, significant data were collected on the condition of the road and related equipment, the results of which were analysed in detail and presented in this paper. Based on these results, remediation measures have also been proposed, which enable increased road safety and reduced traffic accidents.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine the nitrites and nitrates content in fresh cow’s milk samples from milking machines, and to determine whether their amount is affected by the season of sampling (summer/winter). Methods: The methodology used was analytical transversal method at 2-time points. All milk samples were sampled at milk machines from the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, during the summer and winter months in 2020. A total of 40 milk samples were sampled, with 20 samples in each monitored period (summer/winter). A high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector was used to identify and quantify concentrations of the nitrate and the nitrite content. The results were processed using descriptive statistics and the statistics of differences. Results: The analysis determined the range of nitrate content from 1.28 mg/kg to 19.71 mg/kg and the range of nitrite content was from 0.49 mg/kg to 3.42 mg/kg in milk samples. The mean result of nitrates in fresh cow’s milk samples in the summer period was 9.12 mg/kg and in the winter period of 3.88 mg/kg. The mean value of nitrite in the summer was 1.23 mg/kg, while the mean value of nitrite in the winter period was 1.48 mg/kg. Conclusion: The research has shown that the nitrate and the nitrite levels in local fresh cow’s milk sampled in milk machines do not exceed the maximum allowable intake. The obtained results confirmed that the amounts of nitrates and nitrites in the milk samples differ significantly during the winter and summer periods and differences are depending on the location of the milk machine.