Effects of varying nitrogen doses on yield,yield components and artemisinin content of Artemisia annua L.

Artemisia annua L. is an aromatic-antibacterial herb that destroys malarial parasites, lowers fevers and checks bleeding, and of which the secondary compound of interest is artemisinin. The objective of the present study was to determine yield, yield components and artemisinin content of A. annua L. grown under four nitrogen applications (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg ha⁻¹) in the Çukurova region of Turkey in 2004 and 2005. Field trials were conducted at Çukurova University, Agricultural Faculty Field Crops Department. In the study, plant height, number of branches, fresh herbage yield, dry herbage yield, fresh leaf yield, dry leaf yield, essential oil content and artemisinin content (by high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC) were examined. By analysis of variance, nitrogen doses had no any statistical effect on the traits investigated except for artemisinin content. Artemisinin content of the dried leaves were significantly affected by nitrogen applications, which varied from 6.32 to 27.50 mg 100 g⁻¹. Contents were from 120 and 80 kg ha⁻¹ nitrogen for the years of 2004 and 2005, respectively.     

Iristectorone K,a novel monocyclic triterpene ester from Iris germanica rhizomes growing in Turkey

A new monocyclic triterpene ester (1) was isolated from the rhizomes of Iris germanica from Turkey. Structure elucidation of compound (1) was carried out by the combined application of HMQC, HMBC, DEPT, COSY and NOESY experiments and named as iristectorone K.     

Antibacterial activity of seed proteins of Robinia pseudoacacia

A low molecular weight cationic peptide was isolated from Robinia pseudoacacia seed and tested in vitro against seven bacteria (Corynebacterium michiganense, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora, Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae, Xanthomonas campestris pv campestris, and Escherichia coli). The peptide inhibited the growth of the tested strains. The effective concentrations required for 50% inhibition of bacterial growth ranged between 20 and 120 microg ml(-1) protein. S. aureus was found to be the most sensitive strain, however, E. coli was not affected much when compared with others. Reduction of antibacterial activity of the peptide with CaCl2 addition into the growth medium was also observed.     

Callus formation and cucurbitacin B accumulation in Ecballium elaterium callus cultures

Ecballium elaterium fruit juice is used for the treatment of sinusitis in Turkish folk medicine. The aim of this study was to increase the yield of cucurbitacin B, an anti-inflammatory compound previously isolated in various organs of E. elaterium, through tissue culture techniques. Higher yields of cucurbitacin B (1.126%) were obtained from the first subculture calluses from stem nodes in the presence of benzyl adenine (BA; 1 mg/l) and naphtalene acetic acid (NAA; 0.1 mg/l) in comparison with the yields obtained from plant material (0.01%).     

Essential oil composition and antioxidant activity of endemic Ziziphora taurica subsp. cleonioides

The essential oil of Turkish endemic Ziziphora taurica subsp. cleonioides aerial parts was found to contain (+)-pulegone (81.86%), limonene (4.48%) and piperitenone (2.30%) activity. The essential oil showed relevant antioxidant activity.     

Heterobasidion abietinum on Abies species in western Turkey

Forty‐five basidiocarp specimens of Heterobasidion were collected from native Abies species in three locations in western Turkey: A. nordmanniana ssp. bornmülleriana in Bolu province, A. nordmanniana ssp. equi‐trojani in Balikesir province and A. cilicica in Antalya province. Pure cultures were isolated from the basidiocarps and identified to the species level with the aid of mating tests. All the specimens proved to belong to the species Heterobasidion abietinum. This root rot fungus is common in the forests investigated and appears to be relatively virulent on Abies in Turkey. This is the first report of H. abietinum outside Europe.     

Analysis of the forest fires in the Antalya region of Turkey using the Keetch–Byram drought index

We investigated the correlation of large fires([300 ha) from 1992 to 2013 within the borders of the Antalya Regional Directorate of Forestry using the Keetch–Byram drought index(KBDI). Daily KBDI values were calculated for each year, and values for the period before the year 2000 differed significantly from those after2000. After 2000(large fires occurred in 2004, 2006, 2007,2008, 2010, and 2013), when KBDI values increased, the KBDI, but not the number of fires, was inversely correlated with the natural log of the burned area(NLBA). While there were both high and low KBDI values when the NLBA was small, only high KBDI values were associated with high NLBA values. Particularly for logarithmic values of 4 and higher, KBDI values increased in parallel with increases in NLBA values. On the basis of a Mann–Whitney U test done in addition to a Pearson correlation test, we found that when the burned areas were grouped according to small and large areas, the KBDI could be used to distinguish the two groups. Using a conditional probability analysis, we found that 4th, 5th and 6th class KBDI values may lead to large fires at the 60 % possibility.Similarly, the possibility of large fires greater than the median burned area in any given 6 years was found to be48 %. In addition, while the mean value of KBDI is 390.51 for the period from May to September for these 6 years, it is 359.93 for the other years. Consequently, the area burned also increased as the KBDI classes(Class 0: 0–99, Class 1:100–199, Class 2: 200–299, Class 3: 300–399, Class 4:400–499, Class 5: 500–599, Class 6: 600–699, and Class 7:700–800) increase.     

Characterization and Purification of Glutathione S-Transferase from the Liver and Gill Tissues of Ağrı Balık Lake Trout Salmo trutta labrax and the Effects of Heavy Metal Ions on Its Activity

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) from the liver and gill tissues of A?r? Bal?k Lake Trout (also known as Black Sea Trout) Salmo trutta labrax was characterized and purified, and the toxic effects of some heavy metal ions on the enzyme's activity were analyzed. Liver GST was purified 930 times, resulting in 56% yield using glutathione–agarose affinity chromatography and a specific activity of 60.87 endotoxin units (EU)/mg protein. Using the same procedure, gill GST was purified 576 times, resulting in a 60% yield and specific activity of 46.8 EU/mg protein. The purity check of the purified enzymes was determined with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Optimal pH, ionic strength, and stable pH were found for each tissue, and separate K_M and V_max values were determined for reduced glutathione and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene substrates. Heavy metal ions that have toxic effects on living organisms and are known to contribute to environmental pollution were selected, and their in vitro effects on enzyme activity were analyzed. The IC50 values and K_i constants of those metal ions showing an inhibitory effect on GST activity were determined.

Received November 24, 2014; accepted March 11, 2015     

Effects of dietary oregano and garlic essential oils on carcass characteristics,meat composition,colour, pH and sensory quality of broiler meat

1. An experiment was conducted to determine the individual and combined effects of two essential oils, oregano and garlic, on carcass characteristics, meat composition, colour, pH and sensory quality of broiler meat.

2. The diets were supplemented with no essential oil (control), oregano essential oil or garlic essential oil at 300 mg/kg and oregano essential oil at 150 mg/kg + garlic essential oil at 150 mg/kg.

3. Dietary oregano and garlic oil supplementation did not affect carcass yields, the relative weight of carcass parts, breast and thigh meat composition, pH or b* value of breast meat. Oregano + garlic oil supplementation significantly decreased the L* value. The a* value of breast meat in birds given a diet supplemented with oregano oil was lower than that in birds given a diet supplemented with garlic oil and oregano oil + garlic oil. The essential oil addition had no positive effect on the oxidative stability. There was no difference between the treatments in breast appearance.

4. The juiciness, flavour, oxidised flavour and acceptability of breast meat samples were affected by treatments.     

Arterial Thoracic Vascularization in Some Deer Species: Pampas Deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus), Brown Brocket Deer (Mazama gouazoubira) and Axis Deer (Axis axis)

In this study, the arterial distributions of the aortic arches of three deer species (Axis axis, Ozotoceros bezoarticus and Mazama gouazoubira) were described. The animals were dissected immediately after being found dead. Latex injection method was used to observe the vascularization of the thorax. The branching pattern of the arteries of the thoracic aorta in O. bezoarticus was similar to domestic ruminants. In the M. gouazoubira and A. axis, there were no bicarotid trunk. Interestingly, the first branch of the brachiocephalic trunk was the left costocervical trunk in A. axis. Then, brachiocephalic trunk was divided into right and left subclavian arteries. M. gouazoubira and A. axis in contrast to O. bezoarticus were different when compared with other ruminants, and the absence of bicarotid trunk was more striking than previous reports.