Plant oils have attracted interest for centuries as natural remedies in treatment of various diseases. The Inula verbascifolia (Willd.) Hausskn.isgrowing wild plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Aromatic natural oils are one of the most significant sources of natural organic components. The natural vegetable oil of the selected plant (Inula verb.) was obtained by the hydrodistillation method. A comparison was made between the fragrant vegetable oil from the aerial parts of the plant in the flowering period (summer) and after the flowering period (autumn). In this study, chemical compounds were tested, comparing the content and composition of natural oils from the plant Inula verbascifolia. The aerial parts of the plant contained a fragrant and yellow essential oil. The identified 125 constituents accounted for 86.87% and 88.38% of the oil. The dominant compounds of both EOs were tridecanal, (3Z)- hexenyl benzoate, α-murolol, hexadecanoic acid, linalool and undecanal. Since essential aromatic oils possess a number of antimicrobial properties, an analysis of antimicrobial activity was also performed in this work. The antimicrobial activity of a mixture of EOs was determined on selected ATCC strains of microorganisms. Results of antimicrobial activity indicated that all used the microorganisms were sensitive to the EO. No data about antimicrobial activity of Inula verbascifolia has been published yet.

Nowadays, bottled water has become part of the lifestyle, replacing tap water, and water from freestanding dispensers is increasingly being used. The main goal of this research was to determine the health suitability of bottled water in freestanding dispensers. The research included the microbiological analysis of a total of 100 samples of bottled water from freestanding dispensers. The samples were mostly taken in the wider area of the city of Doboj (doctor's offices, shops, public buildings), and one dispenser in the city of Tuzla. Water samples were taken twice, in the period from April to June 2022. Water samples from 6 different manufacturers (Vivia, Kristal, Nevra, Gora, Aqua doria, Aqua team) were analyzed. 9% of water samples (9/100) were microbiologically correct. Microbiologically defective samples contained a higher total number of bacteria at 22°C and 37°C, as well as a higher number of coliform bacteria than the maximum allowed values. No significant differences in microbiological quality were found between older and/or recently installed water dispensers, as well as in terms of environmental conditions, while visible differences were observed between dispensers that were regularly hygienically maintained.KEYWORDS:dispensers; bottled water; coliform bacteria; biofilms; total bacteria count

Copper (II) complexes with commercial antibiotics, amoxicillin (AMX), azithromycin (AZT) and ciprofloxacin (CFL) were synthesized and isolated as solids. Structures of the isolated products were determined by FTIR spectroscopy. Antibacterial activities were determined on reference bacterial strains from the ATCC collection by diffusion technique. The results show that AMX and CFL coordinate Cu (II) ion as bidentate O-donor ligand. AZT coordinates metal center as bidentate NO-donor ligand. A difference in the morphology of antibiotic crystals and the synthesized complexes was found. Complex of Cu (AMX)2 show complete absence of antibacterial activity, while the other com-plexes show the same or even lower activity than the parent ligands.  

Aims: The aims of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates to antibiotics and essential oils - Origanum compactum, Origanum majorana and Thymus serpyllum. Study Design: Study included 30 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae obtained from clinical material provided from the University Clinical Center Tuzla. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tuzla, BiH, between September 2019 to September 2020. Methodology: Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. The following commercially available antibiotic discs were used: amoxicillin (30µg), cefalexin (30 µg), gentamicin (10 µg), amikacin (30 µg), imipenem (10 µg), piperacillin (75µg), ampicilin (10 µg), meropenem (10 µg), ciprofloksacin (10 µg), ceftazidim (30 µg), cefotaksim (30 µg), ceftriaxone (30 µg), cefepime (30 µg) and aztreonam (30 µg). The antibacterial effect of the essential oils was tested for ESBL K. pneumoniae isolates using the diffusion method according to Clinical laboratory standards institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: O. compactum and O. majorana essential oils showed the same antimicrobial activity with 80.0% effect on ESBL K. pneumoniae isolates, Thymus serpyllum EO showed antimicrobial activity of 60.0%. The lowest MIC value had the O. compactum essential oil (MIC 6 mg/ml-10.5 mg/ml), followed by the T. serpyllum (MIC 17.2 mg/ml-43 mg/ml), while the O. majorana essential oil showed MIC values in range from 11 mg/ml to 39 mg/ml. Conclusion: The results of the study showed the exceptional sensitivity of ESBL K. pneumoniae clinical isolates to the essential oils from Origanum and Thymus genera, which highly suggests their potential application in the struggle against these pathogens in the future.