This study focused on packaging and its influence on consumers’ choice of agricultural products in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria. In addition, it also aimed to ascertain the relationship between packaging of agricultural products and their perceived quality. The study population is made up of agro-product consumers in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria. A total of 165 questionnaires were administered to respondents. Data obtained through questionnaires were tabulated and analyzed using simple percentages while the chi-square was used to test the research hypotheses. The major findings of this study were that packaging has a direct relationship both to consumers’ choice of agricultural products and their perception of the quality of such products. Accordingly, the researchers conclude and recommend that improved packaging design for agricultural products is essential in attracting consumers and positively influencing their choice of purchase.

Plants have developed mechanical and chemical defense strategies that are effective against herbivores. Plants contain chemicals that are known as secondary metabolites (allelochemical) and these chemicals do not directly involve in organisms’ reproduction and growth, on the other hand, they affect survival, growth and behavior of species. These compounds usually take ecological tasks and plants use these compounds against diseases, parasites, and predators for interspecies competition. It is known through the observations on feeding of herbivorous insects that these compounds act as deterrent chemicals or they are toxic against them. Feeding is one of the most fundamental and the most important behaviors for herbivorous insects. Even though host plant preference of herbivores is partially depend on nutrients, this behavior greatly depends on secondary chemistry of plants. Effects of secondary compounds on herbivorous insects can be positive or negative.

During the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, first cause of deaths in the world, diet has a vital role. While nutrition programs for the cardiovascular health generally focus on lipids and carbohydrates, effects of proteins are not well concerned. Thus this review is written in order to examine effect of proteins, amino acids, and the other amine consisting compounds on cardiovascular system. Because of that animal or plant derived proteins have different protein composition in different foods such as dairy products, egg, meat, chicken, fish, pulse and grains, their effects on blood pressure and regulation of lipid profile are unlike. In parallel amino acids made up proteins have different effect on cardiovascular system. From this point, sulfur containing amino acids, branched chain amino acids, aromatic amino acids, arginine, ornithine, citrulline, glycine, and glutamine may affect cardiovascular system in different metabolic pathways. In this context, one carbon metabolism, synthesis of hormone, stimulation of signaling pathways and effects of intermediate and final products that formed as a result of amino acids metabolism is determined. Despite the protein and amino acids, some other amine consisting compounds in diet include trimethylamine N-oxide, heterocyclic aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and products of Maillard reaction. These amine consisting compounds generally increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases by stimulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and formation of atherosclerotic plaque.

Newly developed Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L.) seeds (Accessions No: TVSU 5 – Bambara Groundnut White (BGW) and TVSU 146 – Bambara Groundnut Brown (BGB)) were collected from International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria, planted and harvested. The effects of processing methods (soaking and boiling) on anti-nutritional factors and oligosaccharides content and protein digestibility of BGW and BGB compared with Bambara groundnut commercial (BGC) seeds were investigated. Soaking and boiling significantly reduced the anti-nutritional factors of the samples and the effect increased as processing time was elongated. Sample BGC had lower anti-nutritional factors than BGW and BGB after soaking for 48 h. Tannin contents of the samples were reduced drastically by 99 % throughout the soaking periods. Greatest loss in raffinose level was observed in BGB (59%) and BGW (50%) after boiling for 60 min compared with BGC (43%). The loss in stachyose content of the samples varies with processing and BGC (59%) had greatest loss after boiling for 60 min while soaking for 48 h reduced that of BGB and BGW by 57 and 35%, respectively. Boiling for 60 min increased the in vitro protein digestibility of BGB (89.34 %) compared with BGW (87.48%) and BGC (82.89%). Overall, the results demonstrated that soaking and boiling of newly developed Bambara groundnut seeds could improve the nutritive quality of the seeds.

In this study, it was investigated that the inhibition effect of some lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus NCC68, Lactobacillus casei Shirota, Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Ezal, commercial starter cultures)) which possessed with probiotic characteristics, against Bacillus cereus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli 0157:H7 ATCC 35150 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Besides, the inhibitory effect of probiotic cultures which used with meat and meat product additives that garlic extract over the antagonistic effects of sensitive pathogens were investigated in vitro. Consequently, the whole of lactic acid bacteria and garlic extract which were used in this study, showed inhibition effects against all selected pathogenic bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 was determined as the most sensitive pathogenic bacteria while Bacillus cereus was the most resistant bacteria against lactic acid bacteria and garlic extract. There was a distinctive increase in inhibition effects were observed by used of a combination with lactic acid bacteria and garlic extract.

Phosphates are widely used as food additives in meat products to increase the water-holding capacity, reduce the cooking loss and improve the textural properties. Furthermore, phosphates protect aroma and accelerate the formation of cured meat color as well as having antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. Many research about using phosphates in meat products showed that increasing chain length of phosphates improves antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. It has been stated that vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging, the use of phosphates with natural antioxidants and encapsulation of phosphates are useful approaches to enhance the antioxidant effects of phosphates. It has been reported that irradiation, vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging, storage at low temperature and the use of the salt provide strong synergistic effect on the antimicrobial properties of phosphates. In this review, researches about antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of phosphates and suggestions for the meat industry about industrial applications of phosphates are presented.

The study was designed to asses the residual effect of organic N (Poultry Manure) and mineral N on maize crop in field experiments carried out on silty clay loam soil at NIFA, Tarnab, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Pakistan during 2014-15. Combined dose of N from both sources were 120 kg ha-1 applied to wheat crop alone and in different combination making six treatments. Maize variety (Azam) was sown in Randomized complete block (RCB) design with four replications. Agronomic data, grains ear-1, 1000 grain weight, biomass grain yield data, N-uptake in maize grain and straw were recorded. Results showed that maximum grain ear−1, 1000 grain weight, biomass and grain yield was obtained from treatment where 25% N applied from poultry manure + 75% from mineral N source applied to previous wheat crop. Agronomic efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency were also found maximum in treatment where 75% poultry manure + 25% mineral N was applied. It was concluded from the study that residual effect of organic manure with mineral N in different ratios enhances crop productivity and soil fertility.

Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from the freshwater of the Batlama Creek in Giresun, to measure their resistance levels against to antibiotics. A total of 9 antibiotics disc were applied for the resistance test. Antibiotic resistances of all isolates were at percentages for ampicillin (75%), erythromycin (64%), nalidixic acid (48%), tetracycline (39%), amikacin (34%), cefazolin and chloramphenicol (33%), cefuroxime (32%) and cefotaxime (23%), respectively. The highest resistant strain was resistant against to 9 antibiotics, while the weak resistance of 16 isolates were sensitive to all antibiotics. Moreover, Multiple antibiotic resistance index values were found to be higher than 0.2 for 77% of all isolates. High resistances of examined bacteria against to antibiotics indicated a dense and multisource pollution in the Batlama Creek. Consequently, a need for good surveillance programs to monitor antimicrobial resistance patterns in surface water bodies.

Sea daffodil (Pancratium maritimum L.) is the only known Pancratium species that is naturally grown in Turkey, belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family, a group of monocotyledons. P. maritimum L. is a perennial Mediterranean plant. It grows naturally in the sandy coasts of Tukey. P. maritimum, which finds a living area right next to the sea, is a drought-tolerant plant that is exposed to direct sea breezes and strong radiation with constantly high air humidity. The roots of modified stem bulbs sink down to 80 cm in the sand. The self-fertilized Sea daffodil is flowering in June-October. It was reported that P. maritimum is one of the rare and endangered plants of Turkey because of usage natural habitats of sand lilies as coasts, excessive collection flowers and bulbs. The landscape value of this geophyte is high with white and fragrant flowers. In addition to their potential usage as ornamental plants, their usage in pharmacology especially in the treatment of cancer, Alzheimer and AIDS due to the medical properties of the modified stems and in other related industries increases their importance. It is also important to protect this genetic resource for biodiversity. In this review, botanical, biological and medicinal properties of P. maritimum as well as potential usage as ornamental plant, threats and importance of this species for Turkey were given and discussed.

Rosa canina L. çelikleri sonbahar mevsiminde Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Kurupelit Kampüsü florasından temin edilmiştir. Yarı odunsu çelikler, sisleme ve alttan ısıtma sistemi olan köklendirme masasına, 1:1 oranında torf ve perlit karışımına dikilmiştir. Çalışmada 10 farklı rizobakteri (bitki gelişimini düzenleyen) izolatı tek başına ve 1000 ppm oksin (Indole-3-butyric acid-IBA) ile birlikte uygulanmıştır. Çelikler 6 saat bakteri uygulamasından sonra, dikim öncesi 10 saniye IBA çözeltisinde bekletilmiştir. Köklenme oranı, kök yumağı eni, kök boyu ve ana kök sayısı saptanmıştır. En yüksek köklenme oranı Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus megaterium ve Pseudomonas flourescens uygulamalarında %30 olarak saptanmıştır. Kontrolde %10 oranında köklenme görülürken, IBA bazı bakterilerin etkisini değiştirmemiş (Bacillus subtilis, Agrobacterium rubi, Paenibacillus polymyxa), bazılarında hafif düşüşe yol açmış (Bacillus megaterium), buna karşın tek başına hiç köklenme sağlamayan 3 bakteri izolatı (Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas putida) %10 oranında köklenme göstermiştir. Bakteri uygulamaları genel olarak, köklenme oranı dışında köklenme kalitesini (kök yumağı eni, kök boyu ve ana kök sayısı) artırmıştır.