Background: In adults aged 30-70 with primary and moderate hyperlipidemia, the present study took place to investigate the therapeutic benefits of a polyherbal unani preparation called Garlitab. Methods: It was a prospective open label, herbal coded test drug-controlled, randomized trial. Out of total screened patients we were enrolled 212 hyperlipidemic patients of 30–70 years in the study fulfilling the inclusion criteria, we were recruited them from OPD of a hospital in Munshiganj and different Unani clinics of Dhaka, Bangladesh after obtaining written informed consent from the patients. Selected individuals were allocated into two groups at random. Group1 Received 500 mg Garlitab tablets twice daily and Group 2 received tablet atorvastatin calcium 10 mg 2 times daily. Height, weight, and blood pressure were recorded along with blood samples. The random distributions were carried out by a research assistant utilizing a random numbers table. Blood samples were taken at the beginning of the trial, 1.5 months later, and 3 months following the intervention. Results: Results for the test medication revealed a substantial drop in cholesterol levels between baseline and the data collected after three months and in case of male it was from 241.72±38.11 to 218.24±34.06 mg/dL for total cholesterol, from 198.27±30.57 to 173.54±29.34 mg/dL for LDL and from 280.78±85.81 to 207.07±51.40 mg/dL for triglyceride. HDL increases from 33.05±3.21 to 34.69±3.13 mg/dL in male patients. The control drug atorvastatin calcium also showed a significant decrease in lipids between baseline and after 3 months data and in case of male it was from 241.92±31.54 to 174.90±22.87 mg/dL for total cholesterol, from 196.20±30.91 to 130.30±24.29 mg/dL for LDL and from 279.48±115.35 to 141.27±59.55 mg/dL for triglyceride. It increases HDL from 32.00±2.25 to 34.03±2.19 mg/dL in male patients. Between the baseline and the 3-month data, the test medicine for females significantly reduced total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides and it was from 244.64±52.18 to 220.12±45.07 mg/dL, from 200.32±30.57 to 173.54±29.34 mg/dL and from 272.32±99.69 to 195.25±60.68 mg/dL respectively. HDL increases from 33.77±3.36 to 35.03±3.23 mg/dL. Between the baseline and the 3-month data, the control medication for females significantly reduced total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides and it was from 247.74±37.95 to 175.26±29.54 mg/dL, from 197.65±27.89 to 130.91±22.04 mg/dL and from 271.57±94.52 to 142.00±50.88 mg/dL respectively. It increases HDL from 32.22±2.32 to 33.46±2.94 mg/dL. Conclusions: According to the results of the study, the polyherbal formulation Garlitab can lower cholesterol levels. It may be a useful medication for treating primary hyperlipidemia.

The aim of this study was to obtain an extract rich in bioactive components from yellow onion peels, which are generally considered waste material. Accordingly, a three-factor three-level Taguchi (L9) experimental design with three factors, namely ethanol concentration (A; 50%, 75%, 100%), extraction temperature (B; 30, 40, 50 °C), and sonication time (C; 10, 20, 30 min) was used to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction process of onion peel powders. Through Taguchi optimization, the optimum extraction conditions were determined as A2B3C2 to obtain the extract with the highest total phenolic matter (TPM) content and antioxidant activity (DPPH (%)). In addition, the extract produced under A2B1C2 conditions was found to be the richest in total monomeric anthocyanin (TMA) content with the highest level of color pigments. In order to determine the overall optimization conditions and to reduce the three-response optimization process to a single response, the simple sum weighting (SAW) method was used as a multi-criteria decision-making method. As a result of the optimization, it was concluded that an extract rich in bioactive components with optimal TPM and TMA contents and DPPH (%) value could be obtained as a result of sonication at 30 °C for 20 min to onion peel powders mixed with a solvent containing 75% ethanol (A2B1C2). The extraction conditions of bioactive components from yellow onion peels were successfully optimized by the Taguchi-SAW hybrid optimization method.

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), poses a significant threat to agriculture worldwide. This study examines the potential insecticidal effects of essential oils from Mentha arvensis and Cinnamomum zeylanicum on controlling C. capitata under laboratory conditions. Even at low concentrations, toxicity assays indicated that both essential oils significantly increased the mortality of adult Medflies. The concentration-dependent effect of these oils on C. capitata mortality is demonstrated, with Mentha arvensis achieving 100% mortality within 48 hours at 1% concentration and Cinnamomum zeylanicum exhibiting rapid efficacy, reaching a low LC50 value after only 1 hour of application. The concentration and application time of essential oils were found to have a significant impact on their effectivness. This study highlights the potential of essential oils for controlling C. capitata populations. Essential oils offer a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for managing C. capitata but further studies are necessary for their successful incorporation into integrated pest management programs.

The objective of this research was to examine the impact of fenugreek gum and eggplant peel extract on multiple characteristics of rice pudding, encompassing parameters such as total soluble solids content, pH, color, syneresis index, storage stability, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, flavonoid, and anthocyanin content, along with a sensory evaluation using a 5-point hedonic scale. Different concentrations of fenugreek gum (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%) and eggplant peel extract (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%) were prepared and incorporated into the rice pudding formulation at varying levels. Higher concentrations of fenugreek gum and eggplant peel extract in the pudding resulted in improved syneresis percentage (68.25±0.42%). This result shows reduced water release and improved storage stability. The addition of fenugreek gum also positively associated with increased storage stability, while eggplant peel extract had no significant effect. Furthermore, while the content of monomeric anthocyanins, total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity in the rice pudding samples increased with higher concentrations of eggplant peel extract, consumer acceptance scores were reported to be very low.

Erzincan Tulum Cheese (ETC) holds a significant place among the most popular cheeses in Türkiye. It has been awarded Protected Geographical Indication status, which restricts the allowable milk species, its production area, and specific sheep breed used in its production. Mineral content and antioxidant activity of ETC were aimed to be predicted using conventional FT-NIR and a portable FT-MIR spectrometer combined with partial least square regression (PLSR) and machine learning algorithms based on conditional entropy. Seventy ETC samples were analyzed for their mineral (Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and P) content using ICP-MS. The samples' antioxidant activity was measured using the DPPH•+ scavenging activity method. PLSR combined with FT-NIR spectral data correlated with antioxidant activity (r=0.89) and minerals (as low as r=0.83) except for Cr and Fe. FT-MIR data provided a good correlation for minerals (as low as r=0.82) except for Cr and Mn and a moderate correlation with antioxidant activity (r=0.64). Information theory was applied to select wavenumbers used in machine learning algorithms, and better results were obtained compared to PLSR. Overall, FT-NIR and FT-MIR spectroscopy provided rapid (~ 1 min), non-destructive, sensitive, and reliable output for mineral and antioxidant activity predictions in commercial cheese samples.

This study investigates the reactions of four summer pumpkin cultivars (cvs. Çağlayan, Mert Bey, Sena Hanım, TG38) to root and crown rot caused by Fusarium proliferatum by taking into account criteria such as disease severity, plant growth (number of leaves, height, dry and fresh weight of shoot) and the accumulation of phenolic compounds in the roots. Seeds of each cultivar were inoculated with the pathogen and left to develop for 1 month at 25oC in a controlled climate room. The content of phenolic compounds in ethanolic root extracts was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Cv. Sena Hanım had the lowest disease severity (4.40%) among the cultivars, followed by cvs. Çağlayan (10.62%) and Mert Bey (11.07%). Plants developed from inoculated seeds of cvs. Çağlayan and Sena Hanım had no decrease in the number of leaves and in length, fresh and dry weight of shoots in comparison to the control (plants from non-inoculated seeds), while cv. Mert Bey demonstrated a decrease at very low rates in shoot fresh and dry weight (2.24% and 0.77%, respectively). The phenolic compound that exhibited the highest increase in root extracts of cv. Sena Hanım compared to the control among the cultivars was p-coumaric acid (6.57-fold). This study demonstrates that p-coumaric acid can play an important role in the resistance of pumpkin to seed infestation by F. proliferatum.

The aim of this study was to determine the milk quality characteristics of Simmental (SIM) cows of Austrian origin, which have increased the interest of breeders in Türkiye in recent years. For this aim, the milk analysis results of a farm located in Menemen County, İzmir/Türkiye from 2012 to 2021 were used. Milk fat (MF, %), protein (MP, %), lactose (ML, %), total dry matter (TDM, %) contents and somatic cell count (SCC, cell/ml) were determined. In order to determine the current situation, milk samples were taken from the cows (90 heads) in August 2021, and in addition to the above milk components, the solid non-fat (SNF) and freezing point (FP) were determined. The effects of sampling season, calving month, lactation month, sampling season x calving month and sampling season x lactation month interactions were found to be statistically significant for all traits (P<0.05). Parity and calving month effects on Log10SCC were also detected to be statistically significant (P<0.05). The mean MF, MP, ML, TDM, FP and SCC of SIM cattle were 3.71±0.018%, 3.42±0.009%, 4.63±0.009%, 12.49±0.03, -0.535±0.003oC and 5.14±0.01 (138.038 cells/ml), respectively. It was concluded that the milk components of Austrian-origin SIM cattle are not very different from the Holstein-Friesian (HF) breed, however, in the low SCC average for many years, besides the important contribution of the measures taken against mastitis in the farm, the resistance against mastitis may be higher in this genotype. This situation is thought to be the reason why breeders in Türkiye prefer Austrian-origin SIM cattle in addition to high milk yield and carcass weight.

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites that can affect different warm-blooded species worldwide. In this study, it was aimed to detect T. gondii and N. caninum using PCR method in brain tissues of aborted sheep fetuses. Brain specimens were collected from 50 Morkaraman sheep fetuses that had undergone abortion at various stages of pregnancy, within the lambing seasons of 2023 in Muş. Approximately 1 cm³ of brain tissue from the right cerebral hemisphere was excised and subsequently frozen at -20°C for DNA extraction. DNA extraction and PCR amplification were then performed. As a result of this study, 11 (22%) of 50 brain tissues were positive. All brain samples examined in this study were negative for Neospora caninum. Based on the results of this study, it is possible to say that T. gondii is an important abortion agent in sheep in this region. Although N. caninum was not detected in this study, larger scale studies are recommended. Moreover, this study provides important information to breeders and veterinarians in the field in the evaluation and management of abortion.

Lipoxygenases (LOX) gene family is a type of nonheme iron-containing dioxygenases, which has a very important aspect in plant development and fruit quality. LOX gene, which is responsible for lipid oxidation, the main role for the biosynthesis pathway of unsaturated fatty acids. Although some studies have investigated the LOX gene family in several species including arabidopsis, soybean, peanut and apple, there is no information from Pistachio; and the phylogeny of this gene family in the Pistacia genus is still not determined. In this study, Arabidopsis thaliana LOX1 gene (NCBI Reference Sequence: NM_104376.3) was selected and used as a query sequence for performing a BLASTN search. Among all sequence query which was found by NCBI platform, 9 sequences were selected for further analysis. Phylogenetic tree of full-length LOX gene sequences from the Pistacia genus was constructed using the Maximum Likelihood method with MEGA software. By using phylogenic analysis, we identified variations in gene structure and revealed the phylogenetic evolutionary relationship of this gene family. Additionally, this may serve as a reference value for assessing the genetic relationships among various LOX genes in Pistacia genus species. This variations provides us the possibility the design the primer to achieve us to find the exact LOX gene in Pistacia genus and future research on the evolutionary history and transgenic research on LOX genes.

A survey of 200 farmers in the Mampong Municipality in the Ashanti region was conducted between June and October 2016. It was to determine their knowledge of different pests and disease control methods employed, access to extension services, pesticides use and other pests control methods. The study relied on data collected from respondents, 12 key informants (pesticides dealers, vegetable buyers and local chief farmers), field surveillance and observation as well as the reports of the Directorate of Agriculture in the Municipality. Data were captured and analyzed using MS Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPPS) version 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) and interpreted into simple percentages on tables and charts. The result showed that farmers are above 20 years and 18% were female. The majority (74%) have at least basic education with six (6) or more years’ of experience in tomato production. Sixty-four percent (64%) had no access to extension services due to poor contact with the agricultural extension agents (AEAs). Most respondents (70%) lacked education on pesticides and alternative (e.g., integrated pests’ management) control. Nine-two percent acknowledged the dangers of pesticides to public health. Sixty-four percent practice bi-weekly calendar spraying while 30 % and 6% practice weekly and occasional spraying respectively. Forty-four percent of farmers throw used containers or leave them on the farm. More education is needed to ensure safe use of pesticides and wholesome tomatoes for the public.