Ivana Djuricic

Following its discovery, radium was initially promoted as a therapeutic agent for a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, allergies, visual problems, joint pain, and as a general health-enhancing remedy. However, subsequent research demonstrated its significant radiological toxicity and harmful effects on human health. Despite these risks, more than a century after its discovery, certain radium isotopes continue to have limited medical applications, particularly in the treatment of specific cancers. Following ingestion, radium is absorbed into the body and behaves similarly to calcium, resulting in its deposition in bone tissue. A proportion of absorbed radium is eliminated through feces and urine, while the remaining fraction may persist in the skeleton and contribute to long-term internal radiation exposure. The severity and onset of adverse health effects are closely related to the absorbed dose and duration of exposure. Chronic exposure to elevated radium levels has been associated with hematological abnormalities, cataracts, dental and jaw damage, bone cancer, and increased mortality. Advances in radiobiology, radiation protection, and personalized medicine continue to improve the safety and effectiveness of radiation-based treatments. Modern radiotherapy, including selected applications involving targeted radionuclide therapy, requires a detailed understanding of radiation dose distribution, biological responses, and patient-specific factors. The optimization of re-irradiation strategies remains an important clinical challenge that requires careful assessment of previous radiation exposure, tissue tolerance, and potential risks. Because radium exposure can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact, continued monitoring, appropriate regulatory frameworks, and access to specialized analytical methods remain essential components of public health protection. International cooperation and strengthened surveillance programs are needed to ensure the safe management of radium-containing materials and minimize potential health risks.

Background and objectives: Plant material is a real treasure of compounds possessing a spectrum of bioactivities. Their extraction is usually performed using toxic organic solvents, which causes serious environmental problems. For this reason, there is an aspiration to replace widely used organic solvents with greener ones. Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) were suggested at the beginning of this century as non-toxic, non-flammable and ecologically safe alternatives. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the extraction efficiency of choline chloride (Ch)-based NADES (Ch with citric acid, molar ratio of 2:1, 30% of water, ChCit) in obtaining valuable extracts from grape skin. Materials and Methods: Eight different red grape varieties were collected. Skin separation was performed manually. Extraction was performed in an ultrasound bath under defined conditions (plant material/solvent ratio—1:10; time—30 min; temperature—50 °C). In parallel, acidified ethanol (EtOH) was used as a positive control. The total phenolic content (TPC) and the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the prepared extracts were explored. TPC investigations were performed using the Folin–Ciocalteu method. For antioxidant activity evaluation, four different in vitro assays were employed (DPPH, FRAP, ABTS and CUPRAC). Cytotoxic properties were tested against three cell lines (MRS-5, HeLa and LS 174T). Results and Discussion: TPC had a wide range (10.10–45.10 and 17.69–62.34 mg GAE/, for ethanol and ChCit, respectively), suggesting the strong influence of grape variety. ChCit showed higher efficiency in extracting polyphenols from grape skin compared with EtOH, probably since la ow ChCit pH potentiates anthocyanin extraction. Antioxidant activities displayed a strong correlation with TPC values (p < 0.05), confirming that phenols strongly contribute to the antioxidant properties of grape skin. The results for cytotoxicity were more heterogeneous. ChCit extracts inhibited cell growth (IC50 between 70.4 and 400 µg/mL), while EtOH extracts had no effect for the tested concentrations. There is no clear relationship between the polyphenol content and cytotoxic effects. Conclusion: Considering all of the mentioned result, it is concluded that the synergy between induced cell acidity and the present bioactives resulted in a cytotoxic effect of grape skin, but there is still a need to identify the specific compounds responsible for this.

Background/Aim. Dietary intake of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) is important in prevention and treatment of different diseases. In general population, the average intake of n-3 LC-PUFA is often significantly lower than recommended levels. Fish lipids are rich sources of these fatty acids, of which the most important are eicosapentaenoic (20:5 n-3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic (22:6 n-3, DHA) fatty acids. This study was designed to determine and compare fat, fatty acids and lipid quality indices in 10 commercial fish species available on the Serbian market, as well as relation between their price and nutritional value. Methods. Freshwater fish originated from the Danube River in the Belgrade Region, while seawater fish were mostly from the Adriatic Sea. A gas chromatography method was used to define fatty acids in 40 fish samples after lipid extraction. Cost-minimization analysis was conducted to assess the economic utility. Results. Seawater fish had a significantly higher value of flash lipid quality compared to the freshwater fish (p < 0.05). Value of hypercholesterolaemic fatty acids (OFA) for the freshwater group was 18.70 (17.40?21.30) while the seawater group had a similar range of values 18.90 (17.55?22.75). Hypocholesterolaemic fatty acids (DFA) also showed similar ranges for both groups: 68.80 (66?70.20) for freshwater and 68.40 (64.85?73.05) for seawater group. The ratio of DHA/EPA ranged from 1.8 for sardine samples and up to 10 for tuna samples, indicating that the amount of DHA in natural samples exceeds the amount of EPA in many cases. The values of atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic index (TI) were lower than 1 for all analysed samples. Conclusion. Sardine and mackerel had the highest content of n-3 LC-PUFA and presented the least expensive sources of EPA and DHA. The low values of AI and TI obtained from studied fish indicate its benefits from a health point of view.

Oxidative stress and inflammation have been recognized as important contributors to the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may regulate the antioxidant signaling pathway and modulate inflammatory processes. They also influence hepatic lipid metabolism and physiological responses of other organs, including the heart. Longitudinal prospective cohort studies demonstrate that there is an association between moderate intake of the omega-6 PUFA linoleic acid and lower risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), most likely as a result of lower blood cholesterol concentration. Current evidence suggests that increasing intake of arachidonic acid (up to 1500 mg/day) has no adverse effect on platelet aggregation and blood clotting, immune function and markers of inflammation, but may benefit muscle and cognitive performance. Many studies show that higher intakes of omega-3 PUFAs, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are associated with a lower incidence of chronic diseases characterized by elevated inflammation, including CVDs. This is because of the multiple molecular and cellular actions of EPA and DHA. Intervention trials using EPA + DHA indicate benefit on CVD mortality and a significant inverse linear dose–response relationship has been found between EPA + DHA intake and CVD outcomes. In addition to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory roles, omega-3 fatty acids are considered to regulate platelet homeostasis and lower risk of thrombosis, which together indicate their potential use in COVID-19 therapy.