In this study, the influence of the type of extract (leaf and rhizome of R. japonica) and the type of copper-based mordant (copper (I) oxide - Cu2O and copper (II) sulfate - CuSO4) on the spectroscopic and antimicrobial properties of dyed wool knitwear was investigated. The antimicrobial activity of all samples was tested against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and the yeast Candida albicans. It was observed that knitted fabrics dyed with R. Japonica leaf extract and Cu2O show a better antimicrobial effect on S. aureus bacteria compared to knitted fabrics dyed with the addition of CuSO4. However, in the case of knitwear dyed with R. Japonica rhizome extract, we have the opposite case; CuSO4 proved to be better as a mordant. Conductance was measured using the dielectric spectroscopy method in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 100 kHz. The highest increase in conductivity was observed in the sample dyed with the rhizome extract of R. Japonica and Cu2O, where the increase at the frequency of 24 kHz was 20 times higher compared to the initial sample. The obtained results of the coloration spectrophotometric analysis of the samples show that the highest colour strength (K/S) was achieved with the sample dyed with R. Japonica leaf extract and CuSO4. The obtained results indicate the possibility of using the tested knitwear for antimicrobial as well as electro protection.

In order to remove harmful microorganisms, textile materials are subjected to various types of antimicrobial treatments. Skin infections represent a permanent diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. In this paper, the impact of printing insoles with alginate paste, modified bentonites and Picea omorika plant extract on their antimicrobial, dielectric and sorption properties was investigated. It was found that the printed insoles show a certain antimicrobial effect on the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and the yeast Candida albicans. The obtained values of specific conductivity are in agreement with the tested parameter of the sorption properties of the insoles.

Physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, fast-paced lifestyle, as well as genetic predispositions lead to the appearance of diabetes mellitus, and with it many other complications, of which diabetic foot syndrome is very common. In order to avoid complications with the diabetic foot, one of the forms of prevention is wearing specially designed footwear that protects and reduces the pressure on the foot and thus the risk of ulcers. Insoles also play a big role in preventing complications. The paper will present a conceptual solution of a model of footwear for patients with diabetes mellitus and a prototype of an insole made of knitwear, which was previously printed with medical clay, honey and extracts of the plants Rosmarinus officinalis and Zingiber officinale. Samples of knitwear that were printed with a paste containing Rosmarinus officinalis extract showed exceptional antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Replaceable insoles for footwear are intended for the prevention of complications from Diabetes mellitus.

Abstract This work presents the advantages of using ultrasound (US) in the procedure of antimicrobial functionalization of cotton knitwear. Ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive components from plant material reduced the extraction time by 40% and increased the degree of utilization by 12.5% in comparison with conventional extraction. By optimizing the H2O2 bleaching process, it was found that the application of ultrasound resulted in reducing the temperature from 100 °C to 60 °C, the processing time by 30 min and the H2O2 concentration from 4% to 2%, while retaining the same weight loss, the appropriate degree of whiteness with preserved mechanical properties compared with treatment carried out without using ultrasound. Dyeing with the plant extract of Achillea millefolium L. using the ultrasonic atomization resulted in even coloration and antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with using minimum quantities of extract and 6.67 times shorter processing time in comparison with the bath exhaustion method.

In this study, the extraction efficiency of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) based on choline chloride as a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and five different hydrogen bond donors (HBD; lactic acid, 1,4-butanediol, 1,2-propanediol, fructose and urea) was evaluated for the first time for the isolation of valuable bioactive compounds from Achillea millefolium L. The phytochemical profiles of NADES extracts obtained after ultrasound-assisted extraction were evaluated both spectrophotometrically (total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant assays) and chromatographically (UHPLC-MS and HPLC-UV). The results were compared with those obtained with 80% ethanol, 80% methanol, and water. The highest TPC value was found in the lactic acid-based NADES (ChCl-LA), which correlated with the highest antioxidant activity determined by the FRAP analysis. On the other hand, the highest antiradical potential against ABTS+• was determined for urea-based NADES. Phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid and dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers), flavones (luteolin and apigenin), and their corresponding glucosides were determined as the dominant individual phenolic compounds in all extracts. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of the extracts obtained against four bacterial cultures and two yeasts were evaluated using two methods: the agar dilution method to obtain the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal or fungicidal concentration (MBC or MFC), and the disc diffusion method. ChCl-LA had the lowest MIC and MBC/MFC with respect to all microorganisms, with an MIC ranging from 0.05 mg mL−1 to 0.8 mg mL−1, while the water extract had the weakest inhibitory activity with MIC and MBC/MFC higher than 3.2 mg mL−1.

Seasonal variations in the environment (e.g. of temperature and light intensity) can lead to the excess production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress, inducing changes in the permeability of the plant cell membrane and the structure and function of cellular molecules. To address these deleterious effects, plants activate various non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants. This study seeks to detect the influence of seasonal variation in Hedera helix (ivy) leaves, collected in Banj brdo (Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina) between December 2017 and November 2018, on oxidative (hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde) and antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, catalase, Class III peroxidases, and phenolic compounds) parameters. During the winter-early spring months (a temperature range of 0.7 to 5.4?C), we detected an increase in the values of all the oxidative and antioxidant parameters, whereas during the spring, summer, and autumn months (a temperature range of 15 to 25?C), the values of most of these parameters fell. However, a peak in the parameter values was detected during June and July 2018, which might be attributable to the influence of the changes in both light intensity and temperature and to the effects of intensive shoot growth. Our results highlight the importance of the antioxidant protection system of H. helix for its acclimation to seasonal variations in the environment, especially temperature.

Honey is a product of high nutritive value, used as a raw material for obtaining mead. The quality of mead can be improved by adding fruit juices, including chokeberry juice. This paper aims to assess the effects that adding different quantities of chokeberry juice, with the variation of 3 amounts of inoculated yeast, has on the fermentation course, physicochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of mead. The parameters analyzed are the dry matter content, pH value, and content of volatile acids, ethanol and methanol, total phenols and flavonoids, FRAP, DPPH and ABTS tests and antimicrobial properties. The results obtained in this paper show that adding chokeberry juice improves antioxidant properties of the final product and affects positively the course of mead fermentation, i.e. it has led to an increase of the maximum concentration of ethanol (Pm). In terms of the chemical composition of mead, there is no significant difference, except in the obtained ethanol content, which is the highest in samples with 10% of added chokeberry juice. Control sample showed the best antimicrobial activity, while sample with 5 % of added chokeberry juice showed the weakest effect. The strongest effect was seen in the sample with 20% of added chokeberry juice.

Lubarda, B. & Topalić-Trivunović, Lj.: Alien flora of the city of Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Nat. Croat., Vol. 29, No. 2, 217-226, 2020, Zagreb. In the urban area of Banja Luka, 77 species of alien plants have been found, most of them neophytes (64.94%) while a smaller percentage are archeophytes (35.06%). Most of the plants originate from America (34), and Asiatic species rank second (17). Most of the alien plants belong to the Compositae family, in terms of life form are therophytes, and intention has been involved in their arrival in this area.The anthropogenic change indicator values have been shown to have a significant anthropogenic impact on the overall flora.

In this paper, cotton, polyester and cotton/polyester fabrics were modified by using herbal extract of Picea omorika and copper ferrite nanoparticles and their antibacterial and dielectric properties were investigated. Antibacterial activities of all samples were examined against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Most of the fabrics modified by copper ferrite showed antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, while the addition of the herbal extract improved their antibacterial protection. Dielectric properties were measured in frequency range from 24 Hz to 75 kHz at room temperature and the results showed that the modification of all three fabrics with copper ferrite caused increase in their electrical conductivity. The obtained results point to the possibility of using investigated fabrics for antibacterial protection as well as for the electromagnetic shielding application.