Publications by authors named "Milena Vukic"

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance and the increasing demand for a healthier lifestyle have set new goals for science and industry. In the search for new, more effective, and environmentally friendly antimicrobial agents, special attention is being paid to natural resources. In this regard, essential oils derived from plants, which are widely used in the cosmetic, food, and pharmaceutical industries, are one of the solutions.

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  • ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are key genes that influence how SARS-CoV-2 enters cells, and their variations may impact COVID-19 severity and mortality.
  • A study of 178 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Serbia collected genetic data and found specific polymorphisms (rs2070788 and rs2106809) linked to reduced severity and death risk in females.
  • The study concludes that these genetic variations could serve as important predictors for how severe COVID-19 can become in women.
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The growing emphasis on food safety and healthier lifestyles, driven by industrial expansion and scientific priorities, has highlighted the necessity of managing harmful microorganisms to guarantee food quality. A significant challenge in this domain is the control of pathogens that are capable of forming biofilms, entering a sessile state that enhances their resistance to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Essential oils, renowned for their antibacterial properties, present a promising natural alternative for food preservation.

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is mostly grown for its usage in the food, medical, and perfume industries, while it is also used as an attractive plant in parks, gardens, and homes. The use of essential oil may yield new results in relation to the antimicrobial activity of essential oils and their use mainly in extending the shelf life of foods. This study investigates the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of essential oil (RDEO) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and various bioassays to explore its potential applications in food preservation and microorganism growth control.

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  • Researchers studied the effects of berry essential oil on cancer, specifically targeting cervical cancer (HeLa) and colorectal (HCT 116) cell lines.
  • The essential oil showed significant cytotoxic effects, reducing cell viability and inducing apoptosis through specific molecular pathways.
  • The study highlights berry essential oil as a promising natural treatment for cancer, affecting crucial cellular processes that could improve therapeutic strategies.
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, commonly known as star anise, represents one of the notable botanical species and is recognized for its rich reservoir of diverse bioactive compounds. Beyond its culinary application as a spice, this plant has been extensively utilized in traditional medicine. Given the contemporary emphasis on incorporating natural resources into food production, particularly essential oils, to enhance sensory attributes and extend shelf life, our study seeks to elucidate the chemical composition and evaluate the antibacterial (, ) and insecticidal properties of essential oil (IVEO).

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  • Four neutral Rh1-Rh4 complexes containing -alkylimidazole ligands were synthesized and characterized, and Rh4's crystal structure was confirmed.
  • These complexes exhibit moderate binding to Human Serum Albumin (HSA) and specifically bind to the Heme site III, as well as to the minor groove of CT DNA, confirmed through several experimental methods.
  • Antimicrobial and cytotoxic tests revealed that Rh2-Rh4 complexes effectively inhibit the growth of various bacteria and yeast, and they induce cell death in cancer cells through different mechanisms, including apoptosis and autophagy, with more efficacy than traditional treatments like fluconazole.
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New goals for industry and science have led to increased awareness of food safety and healthier living in the modern era. Here, one of the challenges in food quality assurance is the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. As planktonic cells can form biofilms and go into a sessile state, microorganisms are now more resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics.

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  • Pharmacological agents with antioxidant properties play a crucial role in preventing and treating health issues linked to oxidative stress, such as cancer.
  • A study assessed 14 new compounds called N-pyrocatechoyl and N-pyrogalloyl hydrazones (N-PYRs), revealing their strong ability to neutralize harmful free radicals and their beneficial antioxidant pathways.
  • Further analysis showed that four of these compounds selectively targeted cancer cells while also demonstrating antibacterial effects, indicating their potential as effective antioxidant agents with dual therapeutic applications.
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Background: Shikonin is a naturally occurring naphthoquinone found in the roots of several genera of the Boraginaceae family, widely known for its numerous biological activities, such as antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer. In this study, the antitumor effect of six naphthoquinones isolated from the roots of Onosma visianii was evaluated using two cell lines, mouse melanoma B16 and highly aggressive rat glioma cell line C6.

Methods And Results: All examined shikonins dose-dependently decreased the viability of tested cells, with compounds 5 and 6 being the most potent ones and hence subjected to further analysis.

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The essential oil of (PGEO) is identified in the literature as a rich source of bioactive compounds with a high level of biological activity. This study aimed to examine the chemical profile of PGEO as well as its antioxidant, antibacterial, antibiofilm, and insecticidal properties. Its chemical composition was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), achieving comprehensive identification of 99.

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With the growing issues of food spoilage, microbial resistance, and high mortality caused by cancer, the aim of this study was to evaluate essential oil (TZEO) as a potential solution for these challenges. Here, we first performed GC/MS analysis which showed that the tested TZEO belongs to the linalool chemotype since the abundance of linalool was found to be 38.0%.

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Despite the pivotal role of IFN-λs in the innate immune response, the data on its genetic polymorphism in relation to COVID-19 severity are scarce and contradictory. In the present study, we aimed to determine if the presence of the most frequent functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the two most important IFN-λs coding genes, namely IFNL3 and IFNL4, alters the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients to develop more severe form of the disease. This observational cohort study involved 178 COVID-19 patients hospitalized at the University Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Serbia.

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  • The study analyzed the chemical composition and various biological activities of SSEO, highlighting major components like linalool acetate and linalool, with a focus on their antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and insecticidal properties.
  • Antioxidant activity was relatively low, with SSEO showing limited capacity to neutralize DPPH and ABTS radicals.
  • The antimicrobial tests showed moderate effectiveness, with ()-caryophyllene displaying the strongest antimicrobial activity and SSEO proving more effective in vapor form against biofilms and as an insecticide.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant, antibiofilm, antimicrobial (in situ and in vitro), insecticidal, and antiproliferative activity of essential oil (CSEO) obtained from the plant leaf. The identification of the constituents contained in CSEO was also intended by using GC and GC/MS analysis. The chemical composition revealed that this sample was dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons α-pinene, and δ-3-carene.

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  • This study focused on essential oil (EGEO), evaluating its chemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antibiofilm, and insecticidal activities.
  • Key components of EGEO were identified, with 1,8-cineole being the most abundant at 63.1%.
  • Results showed strong antimicrobial effects, particularly in vapor form, with significant insecticidal activity at varying concentrations and notable antioxidant capacity.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been ranked among the most fatal infectious diseases worldwide, with host's immune response significantly affecting the prognosis. With an aim to timely predict the most likely outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we investigated the association of IFNL3 and IFNL4 polymorphisms, as well as other potentially relevant factors, with the COVID-19 mortality. This prospective observational case-control study involved 178 COVID-19 patients, hospitalized at Corona Center or Clinic for Infectious Diseases of University Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Serbia, followed up until hospital discharge or in-hospital death.

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  • * The essential oils exhibit significant antimicrobial effects, outperforming commercial antibiotics, particularly the flower oils against specific bacteria and also demonstrate notable antibacterial activity in various vegetable models.
  • * The essential oils show potential antitumor effects through cell viability tests, displaying both antioxidative properties and a reduction in cell migration, indicating possible application as chemotherapeutic agents in treating certain cancer cell lines.
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Spanish marjoram () and cardamom () are traditional aromatic plants with which several pharmacological properties have been associated. In this study, the volatile composition, antioxidative and antimigratory effects on human breast cancer (MDA-MB-468 cell line), antimicrobial activity, and antibiofilm effect were evaluated. Results obtained via treatment of human breast cancer cells generally indicated an inhibitory effect of both essential oils (EOs) on cell viability (after long-term treatment) and antioxidative potential, as well as the reduction of nitric oxide levels.

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  • * Essential oils from both locations were tested for their antitumor effects on human cancer cell lines, showing a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability, particularly in breast cancer cells.
  • * Both EOs demonstrated pro-apoptotic activity and enhanced caspase-3 levels, along with antioxidative properties, despite some recovery in cell viability after long-term exposure.
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The present study aimed to evaluate deer meat microbiological quality when treated with essential oil (EO) from (dissolved in rapeseed oil at concentrations 0.5 and 1%), in combination with vacuum packaging during 20 days of storage of meat at 4 °C. Total viable counts (TVC), coliforms bacteria (CB), lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and spp.

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This report summarizes the chemical composition analysis of L. flower, leaf, and stem methanol extracts (FME, LME, SME, respectively) as well as their hepatoprotective and antigenotoxic features and . Herein, Wistar rat liver intoxication with CCl resulted in the generation of trichloromethyl and trichloromethylperoxy radicals, causing lipid peroxidation within the hepatocyte membranes (viz.

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  • The study investigates the antimetastatic effects of royal jelly and its component 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10H2DA) on colorectal cancer cells, focusing on how it can limit cell migration and invasion.
  • Analysis using HPLC found that the concentration of 10H2DA in Serbian royal jelly was 0.92%, and 10H2DA treatment did not show cytotoxic effects but significantly inhibited cancer cell motility.
  • Results indicated that 10H2DA enhanced E-cadherin levels, promoting cell adhesion and potentially preventing cancer metastasis by reinforcing intercellular connections in the HCT-116 and SW-480 cell lines.
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  • * Researchers synthesized five series of phenolic-acylhydrazones and tested their antioxidant effects and impact on the viability of HCT-116 (cancer) and MRC-5 (normal) cells.
  • * Out of 40 compounds tested, 20 demonstrated antioxidant activity, and some showed higher selectivity in targeting cancer cells, highlighting how the structure and functional groups of these compounds influence their effectiveness.
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The essential oil from Litsea cubeba (LCEO) has good antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-insect properties, which gives it the potential for use as a natural additive to food resources and food products in order to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life. In this study the biological activity related to food preservation was observed. The main volatile organic compounds were geranial (39.

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