The utilization of Nigella sativa L., commonly known as black cumin, in traditional and medicinal practices is well-documented, attributing to its wide-ranging biological activities. Given its significance, this study explores the efficacy of various seed priming treatments (control, distilled water, potassium humate, and gibberellic acid) under laboratory and field conditions to enhance the early growth stages of Nigella sativa L. Priming treatments aimed to improve germination rates, plant height, and other growth parameters, potentially translating into increased agricultural productivity. According to results plant height ranged from 52.38 to 58.91 cm, number of branches between 3.76 and 3.98 (branch plant-1). The number of capsules varied from 4.93 to 6.81 (capsule plant-1),  capsule seed weight was between 0.19 and 0.22 (gram capsule-1 ), and the thousand-seed weight ranged from 2.26 to 2.39 grams. The germination rate ranged from 78% to 93%, germination index 4.22-5.83 and mean germination time was observed from 4.27 to 4.82 days. Our findings reveal significant effects of priming on germination parameters and  plant height, this offering insights into the potential of these treatments to optimize crop growth. However, the transition of these benefits to field conditions, particularly yield-related parameters, appeared limited, suggesting the complex nature of growth enhancement strategies and their implications for agricultural practices.

Gıda endüstrisi tarafından üretilen atıklar ve yan ürünler protein açısından zengin kaynaklardır ve protein hidrolizatlarından biyoaktiviteye sahip bileşikler üretmek için yeni strateji arayışında önemli bir alternatiftir. Çeşitli çalışmalar gıda işleme endüstrilerinden elde edilen yan ürün ve atıkların, çeşitli rahatsızlıkların tedavisinde önemli bir uygulamaya sahip olan potansiyel biyoaktif bileşik kaynağı olarak kullanılabileceğini göstermiştir. Proteinlerde şifrelenmiş belli sayıdaki aminoasitten oluşan küçük fraksiyonlar olarak tanımlanan biyoaktif peptitlerin bu hastalıkları önlemede veya tedavi etmede sentetik ilaçlara doğal, güvenli ve uygun maliyetli alternatif olmada potansiyeli yüksektir. Yan ürün ve atıklar nispeten ucuz protein kaynaklarıdır, bu nedenle biyoaktif peptitlerin üretimi için kullanılmaları sadece üretim maliyetlerinin düşmesine neden olmakla kalmayıp katma değeri yüksek besinsel yan ürünlerin geliştirilmesi için de oldukça önemlidir. Bu uygulama aynı zamanda atık bertarafı ile ilgili sorunun azaltılmasına da katkı sunmaktadır. Bu kapsamda bu çalışmada, biyoaktif peptit üretiminde değerlendirilebilecek çeşitli gıda işleme yan ürünü ve atıkları, bu ürünlerden protein hidrolizatı elde etme süreçleri ve bu peptitlerin sağlığa yönelik etkilerini inceleyen güncel çalışmaların derlenmesi amaçlanmıştır.

Bu çalışma, Norduz kuzularının doğum ağırlığına cinsiyet, doğum tipi, ana yaşı, doğum yılı ve doğum ayının etkilerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Ayrıca, kuzuların doğum ağırlığı ile ananın doğumdaki ağırlığı arasında bir ilişki olup olmadığı da değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışmada, Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Hayvancılık Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi Müdürlüğü bünyesinde 2021-2023 yılları arasında yetiştirilen toplam 196 Norduz kuzusunun doğum ağırlıkları ile analarının doğumdaki ağırlıklarına ait kayıtlar kullanılmıştır. Kuzuların ortalama doğum ağırlığı 4,28±0,85 kg olarak tespit edilmiştir. Kuzuların doğum ağırlığına doğum tipinin ve doğum yılının etkisi istatistiki olarak anlamlı bulunmuştur. Ancak, doğum ağırlığına cinsiyet, ana yaşı ve doğum ayının etkisinin olmadığı belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca, Norduz kuzularının doğum ağırlığı ile analarının doğumdaki ağırlığı arasında önemli düzeyde pozitif korelasyon tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, tek doğan kuzuların doğum ağırlığının ikiz doğanlara göre daha ağır olduğu ve 2021 yılında doğan kuzuların, 2022 ve 2023 yıllarında doğanlara göre daha yüksek doğum ağırlığına sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir.

The increase in the diversity of needs arising from population growth, technological development and globalization causes more use of limited natural resources and brings with it consequences such as wear and pollution of resources. This study focused on the dam lakes on the Kızılırmak River in Türkiye, whose fisheries production rights were leased. There are İmranlı, Yamula, Bayramhacılı, Hirfanlı, Obruk, Boyabat and Derbent dam lakes on which the right to produce fishery products are leased on Kızılırmak, which is the longest river within the borders of Türkiye. Among these, the most rented region is in the Hirfanlı Dam Lake. Sustainability of fisheries in these dam lakes on Kızılırmak River is important in terms of meeting healthy protein demand and socio-economic development. Fishing, which has commercial value in these dam lakes, provides both employment and significant economic contribution to the people of the province and district where they are located. In order to benefit from this potential in a healthy way, it has been concluded that it is very important to operate these dam lakes in a balance of protection and use. However, it is necessary to increase the incentives and support of fishermen especially in these fishing regions.

Bu araştırma, Isparta koşullarında 11 kırmızı mercimek çeşidinin (Çiftçi, Özbek, Kafkas, Tigris, Fırat-87, Evirgen, Seyran-96, Çağıl, Altıntoprak, Şakar ve Kırmızı-51) verim ve bazı verim öğeleri bakımından değerlendirilmesi amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Çalışma 2018-2021 yılları arasında iki yıl süreyle, tesadüf bloklarında bölünmüş parseller deneme desenine göre 3 tekrarlamalı olarak kurulmuş, varyans analizleri yapılmış, önemlilik olduğu belirlenen faktörlerde elde edilen ortalamalar Tukey testi ile karşılaştırılmıştır. İki yıllık ortalamalara göre bitki boyu 21,75-28,01 cm, ilk bakla yüksekliği 10,21-15,91 cm, bitkide bakla sayısı 31,31-49,48 adet, tane sayısı 36,06-64,76 adet, bitki verimi 2,41-5,17 g, tane verimi 139,61-257,73 kg da-1, bin tane ağırlığı 29,50-38,32 g, hasat indeksi %30,03-49,31, su alma kapasitesi 0,019-0,033 g tane-1 ve protein oranı %26,83-29,75 arasında değişim göstermiştir. Sonuç olarak tane verimi ve verime katkısı yüksek özellikler bakımından Evirgen, Çağıl ve Seyran-96 çeşitlerinin ön plana çıktığı belirlenmiştir.

Paclobutrazol (PBZ) is a growth regulator that widely used in horticulture and in the tomato seedling growth to compact the shoots, increase the stem diameter and, root biomass, allowing more tolerance of the seedlings against adverse weather conditions. The objective of this work was to evaluate the rates of paclobutrazol (0, 4, 7, 10 and 13 mg L-1) applied 15 days after sowing by foliar spray on the growth, chemical composition and xylem vessel number of tomato seedlings cultivated in two periods. The PBZ regardless of the application rate reduced the height of tomato seedlings in both growth periods. The basal stem diameter and leaf area were increased with 13 mg L-1 of PBZ. The lignin percentage also increased with 10 and 13 mg L-1 of PBZ as compared to control for both periods. The number of xylem vessel was not affected by PBZ application on the seedlings in the first period. PBZ application at rates of 7 and 10 mg L-1 increased the xylem vessel number in the second period. In general, the application of 13 mg L-1 of PBZ generated seedling more robust to overcome climate adversities.

Spirulina platensis (S. platensis) is a high-nutrient blue-green algae that has been used as a food supplement for a long time. It contains carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds essential for basic human nutrition. It is known to have anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and hypocholesterolemic properties due to the bioactive compounds it contains. In this study, the effects of freeze-thawing, a rapid freezing (-20°C) and thawing (4°C) process, and ultrasonically assisted extraction techniques on the color, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, and phenolic composition of Spirulina platensis extracts were investigated. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts obtained was determined by two different methods, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazollin-6-sulfonic acid)). The sugar profile was determined by HPLC-RID and phenolic composition was determined by HPLC-ESI-DAD-MS/MS. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of samples prepared by the freeze-thawing were higher than those prepared by ultrasonic-assisted conventional extraction technique. In addition to ferulic acid 4-O-glucuronide and brevifolin carboxylate, an isocoumarin derivative, as the dominant phenolic compound in S. platensis extracts, a total of 10 phenolic compounds including catechin isomer, resveratrol C-hexoside, myricetin, ferulic acid, gallic acid, phloroglucinol, and lutein were detected. Glucose was the predominant sugar in both samples. The total sugar content was higher in the freeze-thawed samples (217.92 mg/100 g DW) than in the ultrasonic-assisted conventional extraction technique (182.91 mg/100 g DW). S. platensis has a significant amount of antioxidants, valuable secondary metabolites, and potential commercial applications and medicinal properties, but releasing these compounds is difficult due to the cell wall. This study was carried out to determine how different extraction techniques alter the release of bioactive compounds.

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the interactions of two distinct synthetic dyes—1,9-Dimethyl-Methylene Blue and Toluidine Blue —with different DNA structures, namely calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA), G-quadruplex DNA, and single stranded DNA (ssDNA). The objective of this research is to elucidate the molecular affinities of these dyes for specific DNA structures and explore their potential applications in molecular biology and diagnostics. The experimental approach involved detailed UV-visible spectroscopic analyses, to probe the binding affinities of each dye with ct-DNA, G-quadruplex DNA, and ssDNA. The study aimed to assess the selectivity of these dyes towards the unique structural features of each DNA entity. The binding stoichiometry is defined from Job’s method. The selectivity of the dyes towards DNA also investigated with competitive dialysis experiments. The binding stoichiometry were 1:1 for 1,9-Dimethyl-Methylene Blue and Toluidine Blue and G-quadruplex DNA or ssDNA. Besides, results indicate that 1,9-Dimethyl-Methylene Blue and Toluidine Blue exhibit a pronounced affinity for G-quadruplex DNA, and ct-DNA. While single-stranded DNA is a fundamental component of DNA replication and transcription, our dyes exhibit lower affinity for this structure. The selectivity is advantageous, as it allows for the discrimination between single-stranded and structured DNA regions. The potential applications in studying DNA dynamics and unwinding processes are vast.

There is an increasing trend for development of alternatives to deliver probiotics with non-dairy products. Fruit juices have become one of main food products for delivery of probiotics. The availability of different fruit juice types, their fresh and healthy perception from the consumer's side and demand for plant-based products increase attention to fortification of fruit juices with probiotics. Yet, development of probiotic fruit juices is still an emerging area for the functional food concept. Probiotic juices can be developed by using both probiotic Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and their viability can be strain specific as well dependent on the utilized fruits. The transformation of the fruit components can play roles for the improvement of the potential health promoting functions of fruit juices which should be well-characterized. The insufficient viability of probiotic strains during shelf-life of fruit juices is one of the main challenges and efficient and relatively cheap encapsulation techniques should be developed to ensure their viability. In this study, recent achievements and developments to produce probiotic fruit juices have been summarized. Also, potential role of probiotic fortification for the health promoting functions of fruit juices related to probiotic metabolism has been discussed. Finally, strategies to increase the viability of distinct probiotics have been discussed.

Food safety has become an increasingly important issue as people become more concerned about access to healthy food. Particularly in affluent societies such as the European Union, the increasing consumption of unhealthy fruits and vegetables and carcinogenic residues are constantly on the agenda. Reducing aflatoxin levels in dried foods to below health risk levels, eliminating them from food and ensuring access to healthy food are essential for food safety and human health. In this study, the impact of food safety practices in fruit and vegetable trade between the European Union and Türkiye was examined using mandarins, one of Türkiye’s main fresh fruit and vegetable exports, and the European Union Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications for food and feed for the period between 2019 and 2022. The reasons for these notifications and the requests made in this context were examined and a TOWS analysis matrix was created based on the findings obtained. In conclusion, residue and aflatoxin inspections should be included in traceability activities in Türkiye. Producers need to be informed to ensure the effectiveness of inspections. It is crucial to provide adequate support to producers to improve storage conditions for perishable and dry products and to encourage the use of the latest production techniques. It is of great importance to raise awareness of these techniques among producers. Thus, the European Union can be an alternative market to the Russian Federation, which is Türkiye’s largest trading partner.