Effect of School-Based Educational Intervention on Childhood Obesity in Croatian Urban and Rural Settings.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a global public health concern. Development of effective public health interventions represents the only viable option for decreasing the prevalence of childhood obesity. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a school-based "PETICA-Play for Health" obesity prevention program in urban and rural areas in Croatia. METHODS: This before-and-after study included 28 elementary schools in Croatia focused on pupils (n = 753, 2nd grade) and their guardians (n = 753) during the school year 2022/2023. "PETICA" multicomponent lessons and workshops (10) were implemented in the school curriculum and home settings (parents) as part of the intervention. Knowledge and lifestyle habit changes were evaluated via the questionnaire on knowledge and habits regarding nutrition and physical activity pre-/post-education. The Wilcoxon test for paired samples, Student's t-test (dependent and independent samples), multiple Mann Whitney U tests (p < 0.05), Spearman's correlation, and heatmaps were used. RESULTS: The analysis showed a significant increase in acquired knowledge among pupils (both settings) and habits in the rural setting (increase in sports activities participation, breakfast, and vegetables consumption (p < 0.001, p = 0.003, p = 0.004)), decrease of sweets and salty snacks intake (p = 0.027, p = 0.011), and also, the link between parents' and children's physical activity levels (p = 0.028 vs. p = 0.022), emphasizing the importance of parents as healthy lifestyle role-models. CONCLUSION: The study shows that "PETICA" is an efficient school-based educational model that contributes to positive changes in children's knowledge and lifestyle habits that are a prerequisite for childhood obesity prevention.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Related to the Health Related and Well-Being Outcomes of European Mature Adults and Elderly, with an Additional Reference to Croatia.

With the increase in life expectancy, expectation of a longer healthy life is also increasing. Importance of consumption of certain foods is confirmed to have a strong effect on quality of life. One of the healthiest dietary patterns consistently associated with a range of beneficial health outcomes is the Mediterranean diet (MD). The aim of this study was to assess MD adherence in the population over 50 years of age, in Europe, with special reference to Croatia, and to assess regional differences and investigate the association with health-related indicators (disease incidence, body mass index (BMI), grip strength measure, control, autonomy, self-realization, and pleasure scale (CASP-12)). This research uses data from the SHARE project for the population over 50 years of age. The frequency of individual responses was analyzed (frequencies, cross tables, and appropriate tests of significance, depending on the data set), and logistic regression was used to connect adherence to the Mediterranean diet with health indicators. The results of the study indicate a positive correlation between adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean diet with CASP and self-perception of health, which the followers of the MD pattern predominantly rate as "very good" or "excellent" (37.05%) what is significantly different (p < 0.05) from individuals which do not follow the patterns of MD (21.55%). The regression models indicate significant changes in the measure of maximum grip strength also among MD followers (ORMEDIUM = 1.449; ORHIGH = 1.293). Data for EU countries are also classified by regions (Central and Eastern; Northern, Southern and Western Europe), additionally allocating Croatia, and the trends in meat, fish and egg consumption showed the greatest differences for Croatian participants (39.6% twice a week) versus participants from four European regions. Data for Croatia deviates from the European average also in terms of the proportion of overweight and obese persons in all observed age groups, of which the largest proportion is in the 50-64 age group (normal BMI: only 30.3%). This study extended the currently available literature covering 27 European countries, placing the findings in a wider geographical context. The Mediterranean diet has once again proven to be an important factor related to health-related behavior. The presented results are extremely important for public health services, indicating possible critical factors in preserving the health of the population over 50 years old.

Ketogenic Diet Applied in Weight Reduction of Overweight and Obese Individuals with Progress Prediction by Use of the Modified Wishnofsky Equation.

Ketogenic diet is often used as diet therapy for certain diseases, among other things, its positive effect related to weight loss is highlighted. Precisely because of the suggestion that KD can help with weight loss, visceral obesity, and appetite control, 100 respondents joined the weight loss program (of which 31% were men and 69% were women). The aforementioned respondents were interviewed in order to determine their eating habits, the amount of food consumed, and the time when they consume meals. Basic anthropometric data (body height, body mass, chest, waist, hips, biceps, and thigh circumferences) were also collected, in order to be able to monitor their progress during the different phases of the ketogenic diet. Important information is the expected body mass during the time frame of a certain keto diet phase. This information is important for the nutritionist, medical doctor, as well as for the participant in the reduced diet program; therefore, the model was developed that modified the original equation according to Wishnofsky. The results show that women lost an average of 22.7 kg (average number of days in the program 79.5), and for men the average weight loss was slightly higher, 29.7 kg (with an average of 76.8 days in the program). The prediction of expected body mass by the modified Wishnofsky's equation was extremely well aligned with the experimental values, as shown by the Bland-Altman graph (bias for women 0.021 kg and -0.697 kg for men) and the coefficient of determination of 0.9903. The modification of the Wishnofsky equation further shed light on the importance of controlled energy reduction during the dietetic options of the ketogenic diet.

Emulsification of Rosemary and Oregano Aqueous Extracts and Their In Vitro Bioavailability.

Due to their richness in phenolic compounds, Mediterranean plants such as rosemary and oregano are increasingly recommended for consumption for their numerous health benefits. The pH shift and the presence of digestive enzymes significantly reduce the bioavailability of these biochemicals as they pass through the gastrointestinal tract. To prevent this degradation of phenolic compounds, methods such as emulsification of plant aqueous extracts are used. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of emulsification conditions on the chemical properties (total polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity) of emulsified rosemary and oregano extracts. Response surface methodology was applied to optimize sunflower oil concentration, rotational speed, and emulsifier concentration (commercial pea protein). The emulsions prepared under optimal conditions were then used in bioavailability studies (in vitro digestion). The antioxidant activity of the emulsified rosemary/oregano extracts, measured by the DPPH method, remained largely stable when simulating in vitro digestion. Analysis of antioxidant activity after in vitro simulation of the gastrointestinal system revealed a higher degree of maintenance (up to 76%) for emulsified plant extracts compared to aqueous plant extracts. This article contributes to our understanding of how plant extracts are prepared to preserve their biological activity and their application in the food industry.

Novel Application of NIR Spectroscopy for Non-Destructive Determination of 'Marastina' Wine Parameters.

This study investigates the colour and standard chemical composition of must and wines produced from the grapes from Vitis vinifera L., 'Marastina', harvested from 10 vineyards located in two different viticultural subregions of the Adriatic region of Croatia: Northern Dalmatia and Central and Southern Dalmatia. The aim was to explore the use of NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to determine the characteristics of Marastina wines and to develop calibration models relating NIR spectra and physicochemical/colour data. Differences in the colour parameters (L*, a*, hue) of wines related to the subregions were confirmed. Colour difference (ΔE) of must vs. wine significantly differed for the samples from the Marastina grapes grown in both subregions. Principal component regression was used to construct the calibration models based on NIR spectra and standard physicochemical and colour data showing high prediction ability of the 13 studied parameters of must and/or wine (average R2 of 0.98 and RPD value of 6.8). Principal component analysis revealed qualitative differences of must and wines produced from the same grape variety but grown in different subregions.

Influence of Sample Matrix on Determination of Histamine in Fish by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Coupled with Chemometric Modelling.

Histamine fish poisoning is a foodborne illness caused by the consumption of fish products with high histamine content. Although intoxication mechanisms and control strategies are well known, it remains by far the most common cause of seafood-related health problems. Since conventional methods for histamine testing are difficult to implement in high-throughput quality control laboratories, simple and rapid methods for histamine testing are needed to ensure the safety of seafood products in global trade. In this work, the previously developed SERS method for the determination of histamine was tested to determine the influence of matrix effect on the performance of the method and to investigate the ability of different chemometric tools to overcome matrix effect issues. Experiments were performed on bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) and bonito (Sarda sarda) samples exposed to varying levels of microbial activity. Spectral analysis confirmed the significant effect of sample matrix, related to different fish species, as well as the extent of microbial activity on the predictive ability of PLSR models with R2 of best model ranging from 0.722-0.945. Models obtained by ANN processing of factors derived by PCA from the raw spectra of the samples showed excellent prediction of histamine, regardless of fish species and extent of microbial activity (R2 of validation > 0.99).

Chemical Characteristics of Croatian Traditional Istarski prsut (PDO) Produced from Two Different Pig Genotypes.

Chemical characteristics of raw and processed Istarski prsut (PDO) produced from two different pig genotypes were studied with special emphasis on amino and fatty acid composition and factors of lipid stability. Raw hams of Large White (LW)xLandrace (L), and (LWxL)xDuroc (D) pig genotypes were used in the study (20 hams of each genotype). All left raw hams from each carcass were processed in accordance with the PDO specification of Istarski prsut, and other half (the right ones) of LWxL)xD genotype were used for analyses of raw hams (fresh muscles). Istarski prsut was evaluated on the basis of the chemical parameters of the raw and matured lean ham. The process of dry curing significantly influenced the chemical properties of Istarski prsut. Despite the higher content of intramuscular fat and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the fat of (LWxL)xD ham was much more resistant to hydrolysis and oxidation, suggesting that fatty acid profile and other factors, also play a significant role. Significant differences between pig genotypes in the amino acid and fatty acid profiles were found. The analyzed Istarski prsut may be distinguished by prints of multivariate chemometric statistical analysis, based on their amino acid and fatty acid compositions.

Use of Spectroscopic Techniques to Monitor Changes in Food Quality during Application of Natural Preservatives: A Review.

Consumer demand for food of high quality has driven research for alternative methods of food preservation on the one hand, and the development of new and rapid quality assessment techniques on the other hand. Recently, there has been a growing need and interest in healthier food products, which has led to an increased interest in natural preservatives, such as essential oils, plant extracts, and edible films and coatings. Several studies have shown the potential of using biopreservation, natural antimicrobials, and antioxidant agents in place of other processing and preservation techniques (e.g., thermal and non-thermal treatments, freezing, or synthetic chemicals). Changes in food quality induced by the application of natural preservatives have been commonly evaluated using a range of traditional methods, including microbiology, sensory, and physicochemical measurements. Several spectroscopic techniques have been proposed as promising alternatives to the traditional time-consuming and destructive methods. This review will provide an overview of recent studies and highlight the potential of spectroscopic techniques to evaluate quality changes in food products following the application of natural preservatives.

Exposure of the Croatian adult population to acrylamide through bread and bakery products.

The aim of the present study was to determine and compare the levels of acrylamide in different types of bread and bakery products using a LC-MS/MS method, before and after the new European regulation on acrylamide reduction (Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158) became valid. Also, one of the aim was to estimate the average exposure to acrylamide through this food category. Of the total of 100 analysed samples, acrylamide content ranged from below the limit of quantification (LOQ) to 237 µg/kg in the period before the application of a new European Regulation, and from

Aquatic bacterial contamination associated with sugarplant sewage outfalls as a microbial hazard for fish.

The aim of the study was to compare bacterial composition and load in waters and fish related to the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), particularly waters and wild fish affected by sugarplant processing (sugar cane and sugar beet). Aeromonads were the most frequently isolated group from water and fish. A. hydrophila was a prevailing species in isolates from water, followed by A. veronii, Rheinheimera soli and Ochrobactrum anthropi. Of indicator bacteria for aquatic contamination from fish tissues, the most prominent were V. cholerae, Enterobacter cloacae and E. sakazakii. Sugar cane processing contributed to high viable cell counts at 37 °C while sugar beet processing contributed to high bacterial counts at 22 °C. Heterotrophs from gills of effluent fish were highest during sugar cane processing. Counts retrieved from fish skin were more uniform between effluent fish and fish from downstream waters. Antimicrobial resistance of bacteria isolated from water was high against amoxicillin, sulfamethoxazole, flumequine, norfloxacin and oxolinic acid in samples from the inflow of raw municipal wastewaters to WWTP, while resistance found in bacteria from the inflow of sugarplant mostly related to sulfamethoxazole and amoxicillin. The PCA analysis associated the occurrence of high heterotroph counts, P. aeruginosa, and intestinal enterococci on skin and gills with sugar cane, and yeasts and molds with sugar beet processing. Fish living in treated wastewaters and related water bodies could pose a microbial hazard if fished for human consumption, possibly causing infection when being handled and processed, as a risk of human pathogens penetrating fish tissues.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Analysis of Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Berry Fruits.

This study evaluates the feasibility of using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as a rapid and environmentally friendly technique for validation and prediction of the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AOA) indices (as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, inhibition time (IT) of the Briggs-Rauscher oscillating reaction, and relative antioxidant capacity (RAC)) of berry fruit extracts. The analysed berry samples originated from Croatia (blackberries, wild blueberries, raspberries, red currants and strawberries) and Bulgaria (wild blueberries, raspberries and strawberries). Principal component analysis and partial least squares (PLS) regression were used from the set of chemometric tools in distinguishing and validating the measured berry fruit extract. ANOVA and PCA showed no significant impact of the origin and freshness of the samples. PLS models were developed to validate the relationship of NIR spectra with TPC and AOA of berry fruits. Representativeness of the models was expressed with the R2 and the ratio of performance to deviation. Calculated R2 values were above 0.84 and the ratio of performance to deviation was between 1.8 and 3.1, indicating adequacy of the PLS models.

Gas phase plasma impact on phenolic compounds in pomegranate juice.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of gas phase plasma on phenolic compounds in pomegranate juice. The potential of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy combined with partial least squares for monitoring the stability of phenolic compounds during plasma treatment was explored, too. Experiments are designed to investigate the effect of plasma operating conditions (treatment time 3, 5, 7 min; sample volume 3, 4, 5 cm(3); gas flow 0.75, 1, 1.25 dm(3) min(-1)) on phenolic compounds and compared to pasteurized and untreated pomegranate juice. Pasteurization and plasma treatment resulted in total phenolic content increasing by 29.55% and 33.03%, respectively. Principal component analysis and sensitivity analysis outputted the optimal treatment design with plasma that could match the pasteurized sample concerning the phenolic stability (5 min/4 cm(3)/0.75 dm(3) min(-1)). Obtained results demonstrate the potential of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy that can be successfully used to evaluate the quality of pomegranate juice upon plasma treatment considering the phenolic compounds.

Differences in daily nutritive value of meals and daily intake among schoolchildren accommodated in boarding schools.

This paper describes a meal analysis that included 17 Croatian boarding schools and 668 girls and 592 boys, aged 14-18, accommodated in them that participated in the questionnaire. The aim is to compare the differences among different boarding schools in one year and to compare the changes according to the years from 1997 to 2001. During the survey several consumption frequencies were found to be low, such as intake of milk, vegetables and fruits if they are not included in the meal offered by the boarding school. The self-administrated food frequency questionnaire correctly describes food consumption in boarding school-accommodated schoolchildren. Moreover, it was well accepted by the target group, and easily understood. The results show that a significant proportion of schoolchildren did not consume enough milk, fruit and vegetables on a daily basis or did not consume it at all.