The present study was aimed at isolating endophytic fungi from the Algerian medicinal plant Salicornia arabica and analyzing its antifungal and antibacterial effects. The morphological analysis allowed us to identify endophyte isolates at the genus level as belonging to 8 different genera, Aureobasidium sp., Ulocladium sp., Acremonium sp., Stemphylium sp., Penicillium sp., Aspergillus sp., Phoma sp., and Chrysosporium sp. with frequency percentages 6.7%, 13.3%, 20%, 13.3%, 13.3%, 13.3%, 6.7%, 6.7%, respectively. The antimicrobial activity was caried out using the agar plug diffusion method. The three isolates of the genus Acremonium sp. were highly active against all tested bacteria except Enterococcus faecalis. Comparison of the means of inhibition zones of the active isolates showed that the three fungal isolates of Acremonium were the most active, followed by Chrysosporium sp., Penicillium sp.1, Aureobasidium sp., Stemphylium sp.1, Penicillium sp. .2, and Ulocladium sp.2. The widest zones of inhibition were 22.33 and 20.33mm for Acremonium sp.3, 18.33 and 15.33mm for Aureobasidium sp., 19.33mm for Penicillium sp.1, and 19 and 15mm for Stemphylium sp.1 obtained against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, respectively. Regarding the antifungal activity, the best inhibitory activity was 80 and 64.70% obtained with the isolate Penicillium sp.2 against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciccri and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. albedinis, respectively, and of 63.29 and 58% observed against Phytophthora infestans and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciccri, respectively, with the endophytic isolate Aspergillus sp.2. These results indicated the possible prospect of endophytes fungi isolated from Salicornia arabica as a promising resource of antimicrobial compounds and in the quest for the potential starting points for the development of new antibiotics.

Propolis is a resinous substance produced by bees that is rich with phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Extract of propolis has a high antioxidant and antimicrobial properties due to the presence of these compounds. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to examine the antibacterial and the antioxidant activities of standardized, commercial water extract of propolis in vivo assays, and to assess its impact on preservation of raw beef meatballs aerobically packaged and stored at 4ºC for 7 days. The results showed that the propolis extract demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis in vivo test. Furthermore, meatballs prepared with the propolis extract had an extended shelf life about a week in comparison to the regular meatballs. Besides, the propolis extract was a very effective natural antioxidant agent for controlling the oxidative changes in meatballs. The propolis treatment provided 64.6% reduction in the malondialdehyde formation at the final day of storage. Color lightness and yellowness values of meatballs were not affected by the propolis treatment, only difference was observed in redness values. The pH of the meatballs prepared with the propolis extract almost stayed constant during storage, while the pH of the control meatball samples increased. In summary, propolis extract exhibited a strong antimicrobial and antioxidant activity in vivo assays and in a meat product. Accordingly, it should be used in meat product formulations to enhance preservation of meat products.

Using functional foods which are recently a rising value in the food science arouses curiosity in terms of health among people. Honey, as a natural functional food, might play an important role in the increase of this value with a large but conscious use of it in kitchens. Having a prebiotic property with its oligosaccharide components, honey has a characteristic of supporting the increase of probiotic Bifidobacterium and lactobacilli bacteria. In the current study, the culinary status of honey was investigated depending on the views of professional chef trainers. For honey that shows different compositions, chefs point out that, because of the changes of nectars in the flora collected by bees, the qualitative honey bought from local producers could be a more functional food by using it with sauces, milk products like yoghurt and cheese, with such spices as ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and cinnamon at room temperature without an application of heat treatment.

Tıbbi ve aromatik bitkiler, doğadan toplananlar ve yetiştirilenler olmak üzere iki gruba ayrılır. Doğadan toplanan tıbbi ve aromatik bitkiler, orman gibi doğal yerlerde kendiliğinden yetişen bitkilerdir. Akdeniz bölgesinde bulunan bu bitkilerden ikisi Laurus nobilis L. ve Myrtus communis L'dir. Bu çalışma, defne ağaçları ve mersin bitkilerinden elde edilen uçucu yağların oran ve bileşenlerini belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Türkiye'nin Osmaniye ili florasında yoğun olarak yetişen bu bitkilerden elde edilen yapraklar endüstriyel uygulamalarda büyük damıtma kazanlarında (imbik) su buharı distilasyon yöntemi uygulanarak uçucu yağları elde edilmiştir. İmbik yöntemleriyle elde edilen uçucu yağ oranları defne bitkisinde %0,9-1,4 ve mersin bitkisinde %0,4-0,8 arasında gözlenmiştir. Uçucu yağ bileşenleri incelendiğinde defnenin ana bileşenleri α-pinene (%5,75), sabinen (%8,9), eucalyptol (%44,42) ve α-terpinyl asetat (%17,37) olarak belirlenmiş olup, mersin bitkisinin ana bileşenleri ise, α-pinene (%50,79), limonene (%4,08), eucalyptol (%31,66), α-terpineol (%5,57), α-terpinyl acetate (%2,37) olarak belirlenmiştir.

Bu çalışma; Erzincan Altınada Sulama Birliği şebekesinin 2014-2018 yıllarındaki performansının izlenip değerlendirilmesi amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Çalışmada daha önceki çalışmalarda kullanılan ve önerilen performans ölçüm parametreleri kullanılmıştır. Bu parametreler; şebekedeki sulama alanı oranları ile bu alanlar için gerekli net ve toplam su sağlanma oranları, üretim değeri oranı ile bunun mali getirisi, şebekenin mali yeterlilik ve mali etkinlik oranları, su ücretlerinin tahsilat oranı, sürdürülebilir sulama alanı oranı ile karlılık oranlarıdır. Sulu tarıma açılmış toplam alan 3600 hektar iken araştırma yıllarında 2254,93 ha ile 2751,56 ha arasında değişen alanlarda bitkisel üretim yapıldığı belirlenmiştir. Araştırma yıllarında sürdürülebilir sulama alanı oranları %130,83ile %159,65 arasında iken sulama alanı oranları değerleri %62,64 ile %76,43 arasında kalmıştır. Şebekede aylık net su temin oranlarının 0,78 ile 3,44 arasında iken toplam su temin oranlarının 1,53 ile 6,70 arasında değiştiği, yani çiftçinin aşırı su kullanma eğiliminin olduğu belirlenmiştir. Altınada sulama birliği sahasında üretim değeri oranı %33,05 ile %44,79; karlılık oranı ise 0,95 ile 2,59 arasındadır. Mali etkinlik oranı %22,70 ile %53,30 mali yeterlilik oranı %45,24 ile %101,64, yıllık tahsilât oranı %13,0 ile %96,0, toplam tahsilat oranı da %89 ile %169 arasında gerçekleşmiştir. Ekonomik parametreler bakımından planlama beklentilerine yaklaşılamadığı belirlenmiştir. Şebekede gerçekleşen üretimin planlama öngörülerine yaklaşabilmesi için sulama alanı oranının artırılması, mali getirileri yüksek olan üretim deseninin seçilmesi ve mali kaynakların daha etkin kullanılması gerektiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of different doses (10, 20 and 30%) of sumac shrub leaf substitution instead of corn silage in sheep rations on in vitro gas and methane production, metabolic energy (ME), net energy lactation (NEL) and organic matter digestion degree. Sheep ration consisting of corn silage (20%), alfalfa straw (22.5%), dry meadow grass (20%), and commercial feed (37.5%) constituted the control group. The experimental groups were formed by substituting 10 (S1), 20 (S2) and 30 (S3) percent sumac shrub leaves for corn silage in the control (C) group formed the experimental groups. The effect of sumac shrub leaf substitution on in vitro gas and methane production, metabolic energy, net energy lactation, and organic matter digestion degree was found to be significant. The 24-hour in vitro gas production values of rations ranged between 43.11- 46.77 ml/200 mg DM, methane production values 6.8-7.48 ml, metabolic energy values 8.91-9.41 MJ/kg DM, net energy lactation, 5.59-5.95 MJ/kg DM and organic matter digestion degree values found between 64.25 and 67.61%. As a result, it was determined that increasing doses of sumac shrub leaf substitute reduced gas and methane production. In addition, it was concluded that the data obtained should be supported by determining the microorganism counts, feed consumption amounts, and feed efficiency coefficients with in vivo studies.

Ocimum gratissimum L. is a perennial herbaceous plant used in the treatment of fungal and bacterial infections. Green synthesis has provided cost effective, environment friendly procedure and raising safe strategies for the synthesis of nanoparticles. This study was aimed at investigating the potential of O. gratissimum for the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and their antimicrobial activities. Phytochemical screening on aqueous extract was carried out using standard procedures. Selenium nanoparticles was biosynthesized by O. gratissimum and characterized using Visual detection, UV-Visible spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope, Transmission Electron Microscope, Energy dispersive X-ray, Fourier Transform Infra-red spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Antimicrobial activity of the biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles by O. gratissimum was done using agar well diffusion method. Saponins, tannins, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids and phenols were present. The biosynthesized SeNPs had a strong plasmon resonance band at 300 nm, changes in colour from dark brown to ruby red. The SeNPs were spherical and aggregated with varying shapes and size ranged from 20 – 50 nm. Strong signal of selenium element was observed. Hydroxyl, esters, aldehyde, alkane and amine are present and responsible for the efficient stabilization and bioreduction of Selenium nanoparticle. Furthermore, biosynthesized SeNPs by O. gratissimum (OGSeNPs) exhibited higher antimicrobial activity against both Gram ositive and Gram negative bacteria. Green synthesis of nanoparticles is a promising method in the biomedical field, due to its high bioactive components.

Adoption of improved technologies and agricultural practices are prerequisites for increased farm productivity. Assessing the appropriateness of potential new technologies or practices increases the likelihood of adoption or modification to suit farmers’ needs; however, low farm output still persists among smallholders, attributable to several factors including poor and low adoption of modern production practices. This study therefore analyzed the index of adoption of recommended onion production practices (ROPPs) and correlation of multivariate factors among smallholder farmers in Dambatta, Kano State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting 100 respondents for this study. Primary data collected via well-structured questionnaires were analyzed using Descriptive statistics, Adoption index and Multivariate Correlation techniques.The results revealed that the prevalent ROPPs adopted by the farmers include improved onion varieties (78%), plant spacing (69%), planting method (55%), weed management (50%) and fertilizer application (44%). Moreover, most (72%) of the farmers have low adoption index (≤0.33). Further, significant correlations between multivariate factors (farm output, adoption cost and adoption index) exists and the estimated correlation coefficients for rxz, ryz and rxy were -0.53, 0.71 and -0.82 respectively. Subsidizing cost of adoption of ROPPs, improving access to modern production practices/technologies, agricultural credit/farm capital, extension services, adequate labour supply and tenure policy modification are recommended to ameliorate adoption constraints.

This study assessed the proximate composition, sensory quality and consumer acceptability of beef sausage fortified with edible meat waste. Lean beef and edible meat waste (EMW) samples were obtained from commercial abattoir and combined in ratio 50:50 and 70:30 and designated as T1 and T2 respectively, while CT contained 90% lean meat and 10% fat. The fresh T1, T2 and CT sausages were thermal processed using microwave and oven-grilling cooking methods. The results showed significant difference in moisture, protein, lipid and ash content of raw and cooked sausages across treatments. Raw sausage fortified with EMW had higher protein and lower lipid contents compared to control treatment (90/10, CT). Cooking of the sausage significantly decreased moisture and increase lipid, protein and lipid content, with microwaved sausage having higher values. The results of sensory quality showed that beef sausage fortified with EMW were all acceptable to consumers, irrespective of the cooking methods used. The distribution of consumers who liked the appearance, colour, texture and flavour of the sausage meat containing EMW were higher than those who dislike the products. Therefore, this study shows that EMW could be successfully used in meat industry to improve quality of sausage during production.

This study aimed to determine the effect of pink rock rose extract (PRR) with or without ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate for improving the shelf life of sausages. Analyzed parameters were DPPH radical scavenging capacity of PRR extract; total aerobic count, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, heme iron, pH, water activity, proximate composition, and color values of MAP packaged sausages for 12 weeks at 4 °C. Treatments: (1) Control (0.02% ascorbic acid and 0.05% sodium ascorbate – AA-SA), (2) electrostatic spray application of PRR extract (2%) – ES-PRR, (3) 0.02% AA and, 0.05% PRR extract, (4) 0.05% SA and 0.02% PRR, (5) 0.07% PRR extract. PRR extract had the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 13.04 ± 0.133 µg/mL. Sausages formulated with 0.07% PRR had the lowest microbial growth rate, followed by AA-PRR formulation. The AA-PRR treatment had the lowest TBARS values for most of the storage. This study reveals that PRR extract can be added as a natural antioxidant in sausages, and it could be used as a replacement or for the reduction of ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate in sausage formulations.