<p><strong>Introduction.</strong> Vitamin D is a liposoluble vitamin that has many important roles in the human body. Daily requirements for vitamin D are met through intake of food and exposure to sunlight. The high frequency of vitamin D deficiency is a public health problem that can be corrected using food supplements (FS), which is why its consumption is increasing. The quality of FS, including the content of active components, depends on the good manufacturing practice which is not strictly regulated for the production of FS, as well as the formulation, packaging and storage. Because of that, the quality of FS can be variable. The aim of our pilot study was to examine the conformity of the actual determined content of vitamin D and the declared content in 49 FS, in the form of tablets and capsules, present on the market in Republic of Srpska. <strong>Method.</strong> Determination of vitamin D content was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). <strong>Results.</strong> The range of the determined content of vitamin D in relation to the declared content, expressed as a percentage, was from 64,4% to 188,8%, whereby the deviation is not statistically significant (mean: 100.50%; Cl 95% -0.54 to 0.17; p=0.313 tablets; mean: 98.02%; Cl 95% -3.00 to 0.42; p=0.127 capsules). When measurement uncertainty is taken into account, only one sample (2.0%) was outside the legally allowed range (88.8% more than labeled). <strong>Conclusion.</strong> Therefore, it has been shown that most of the examined products are of satisfactory quality in terms of vitamin D content, but it is necessary to continuously monitor the food supplements that are on the market.</p>

Antibiotics are often misused, especially for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in children, where their use is unnecessary and leads to antimicrobial resistance. This study sought to explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of parents and pediatricians on the use of antibiotics among children and whether the level of education of parents has an impact on their KAP. The research was carried out among 1459 parents of children under 6 years of age and among 18 pediatricians. Sixty percent of pediatricians (61.1%) were prescribed antibiotics daily in their practice. Most of the surveyed parents (98.4%) state that doctors are their main source of information when deciding on the use of antibiotics in the treatment of their children. Parents with a higher level of education use television less often as a source of information when making this decision compared to parents with a lower level of education (p = 0.039, i.e., p = 0.003). The majority of parents (80.7%) knew that Panklav (amoxicillin/clavulanic acid) is an antibiotic, while 52.5% identified Pancef (cefixime) as an antibiotic. Parents with a higher level of education correctly identified antibiotics significantly more often (p < 0.001). This study shows that in the Republic of Srpska, parents have adequate knowledge about antibiotics, especially those with a higher level of education, who show better KAP when it comes to antibiotic use.

Introduction. Arsenic exists in various forms in nature and living organisms. Toxic elements, including arsenic, which are present in some plants, can severely damage haemopoietic, immune, nervous and reproductive systems. For this reason, a content of heavy metals is one of the criteria for the assessment of the safe use of plant material in the production of traditional medicines and herbal infusions. This instigates the need for constant and organized safety control of plants that are used as raw materials in pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this study is to determine the arsenic content in selected teas which are available on the market of the Republic of Srpska. Methods. The 10 g samples of 13 herbal and 3 fruit teas were mineralized by dry ashing and arsenic contents were determined by the atomic absorption spectrophotometer Agilent Technologies Series 200 with an air-acetylene burner and D2 background correction. Results. Mean arsenic concentrations in the herbal tea samples ranged from 0.009 to 0.145 mg/kg. The lowest arsenic concentration in a single sample of 0.007 mg/kg was found in Chamomile tea and Uva ursi collected as a wild plant at elevation above 1200 m. The highest arsenic concentration was found in the sample of Sambucus nigra tea (0.145 mg/kg). In fruit teas, the arsenic concentration ranged from 0.014 mg/kg (Cranberry) to 0.027 mg/kg (Fruit mix). Conclusion. Arsenic content in all analyzed tea samples is below the value stipulated by the national legislation.

INTRODUCTION Childhood obesity is currently considered to be one of the most prevailing and challenging public health issues in industrialized countries and some developing countries, including the Republic of Srpska. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine macronutrients intake in collective diet of preschool children and to estimate the rate of obesity in this population. METHODS Samples of food intended for preschool children diet were collected in a preschool facility in the western region of the Republic of Srpska. In daily portions, the content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, water and mineral matter were determined using standard methods. The body mass index was determined on the basis of anthropometric measurements. RESULTS An average daily meal contained 17.5 g of fats, 19.1 g of proteins and 101.5 g of carbohydrates. The energy value was 676 Kcal. The analysis of the data from the menu showed that the number of consumed servings of fruits, vegetables, legumes, milk and dairy products was less than one portion per day. However, the amount of consumed meat and meat products exceeded one portion per day. Out of the total number of children, 10.0% were undernourished, 16.7% were overweight and 13.3% were obese. CONCLUSION Daily portions in the preschool facility are not in accordance with the recommended dietary allowance for energy and carbohydrates intake, and the composition of meals is inadequate. Parents and caregivers should be encouraged to expose young children to a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and to balance food intake with the requirements.