Flour is a raw material, more exactly grocery very sensitive on external influence. Namely, due to the hygroscopic nature of the flour it is good base for microbial growth. Normal moisture content in flour ranges from 13 to 15 %. An increase in moisture contents makes conditions suitable for microbial growth, accelerating the enzymatic activity and spoiling of flour. The storage conditions have a great influence on the moisture content, especially temperature and humidity. The flour reaction to the storage condition is based to its chemical composition, which is related to the moisture, fat and proteins content. Baking function is dependable upon the storage condition and storage period, as well as acting of the flour during making of dough, and baking of made dough. The aim of this study was to establish behaviour of different flour types (T-500, T-850 and whole meal flour) stored at temperatures +4 and 20 °C and defined humidity. Each flour sample was analyzed determining its chemical contents and farinograph characteristics immediately after milling and after 10 and 21 day, and baking test was done on those days. The obtained results proved that storage conditions significantly affected the chemical composition of composite flours, as well as baking functions of flour and characteristics of baked bread.

BACKGROUND/AIM A cost-effectiveness analyses of immunomodulatory treatments for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in developed countries have shown that any benefit from these drugs is achieved at very high cost. The aim of our study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of five treatment strategies in patients diagnosed with RRMS (symptom management alone and in combination with subcutaneous glatiramer acetate, intramuscular interferon beta-1a, subcutaneous interferon beta-1a, or intramuscular interferon [beta-1b) in a Balkan country in socio-economic transition. METHODS The Markov model was developed based on the literature about effectiveness and on local Serbian cost calculations. The duration of a cycle in the model was set to a month. The baseline time horizon was 480 months (40 years). The societal perspective was used for costs and outcomes, and they were discounted for 3% annually. Monte Carlo micro simulation with 1000 virtual patients was done. RESULTS Significant gain with immunomodulatory therapy was achieved only in relapse-free years, while the time spent in health states EDSS 0.0-5.5 was longer with symptomatic therapy only, and gains in life years and QALYs were only marginal. One QALY gained costs more than a billion of Serbian dinars (more than 20 million US dollars), making each of the four immunomodulatory therapies cost-ineffective. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that immunomodulatory therapy of RRMS in a Balkan country in socioeconomic transition is not cost-effective, regardless of the type of the therapy. Moderate gain in relapse-free years does not translate to gain in QALYs, probably due to adverse effects of immunomodulatory therapy.