Herbal plants are using for folk medicine since immemorial times. Hippocrates who is the father of medicine, refer to 400 medicinal plants and advised ‘‘let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food’’. Most of plants are using today for medicine. It is still acceptable today that prevention is more important than treatment. Saffron was utilized in folk remedy against scarlet fever, smallpox, colds, asthma, eye and heart diseases, tumours, and cancer.

This study was conducted to determine the better hygienic behaviour determination method that is used in controlling against bee diseases and pests. Total forty honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera anatoliaca) were used and they were randomly divided into two groups (each group consists of twenty colonies) in first year. Liquid nitrogen method was used in the first group' colonies and pin-killing (needling process) method was used in the second group’ colonies to determine the effectiveness of methods for hygienic behaviour. Average clearance rate was found as 66.25% and 78.10% in the first (Liquid nitrogen application) and the second (pin-killing) groups respectively. In the second year, forty colonies were divided into five equal groups and each group consisted eight colonies. The first group consisted of 9 frames bees in standard langstroot hive (10 frame capacity), the second group consisted of 5 frames bees in standard langstroot hive (10 frame capacity), the third group consisted of 5 frames bees in ruşet hive (5 frame capacity), the forth group’s consisted of 3 frames bees in ruşet hive (5 frame capacity) and the fifty group consisted of queen mating hive. The pin-killing (needling process) method, tested in first year, was used for all groups to determine the effectiveness of colony population and the size of hive. Average clearance rates of the first, second, third, forth and fifth groups were 70.54%, 58.38%, 70.63%, 54.96% and 58.21% respectively. The colonies that belonged to the pin-killing (needling) group showed a higher cleaning behaviour rate than the other colonies. The density of bees in hive had an important effect on the clearance rate of colonies. The colonies of group 1 and group 3, which had the more density of bees in per unit area, had the higher clearance rate than the other groups.

WRKY transcription factors are a class of DNA-binding proteins that bind with a specific sequence C/TTGACT/C known as W-Box found in promoters of genes which are regulated by these WRKYs. From previous studies, 43 different stress responsive WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana, identified and then categorized in three groups viz., abiotic, biotic and both of these stresses. A comprehensive genome wide analysis including chromosomal localization, gene structure analysis, multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis and promoter analysis of these WRKY genes was carried out in this study to determine the functional homology in Arabidopsis. This analysis led to the classification of these WRKY family members into 3 major groups and subgroups and showed evolutionary relationship among these groups on the base of their functional WRKY domain, chromosomal localization and intron/exon structure. The proposed groups of these stress responsive WRKY genes and annotation based on their position on chromosomes can also be explored to determine their functional homology in other plant species in relation to different stresses. The result of the present study provides indispensable genomic information for the stress responsive WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis and will pave the way to explain the precise role of various AtWRKYs in plant growth and development under stressed conditions.

In this study was carried out to determine the effects of humic acid in heavy metal stress of lettuce changes in some of the morphological and physiological characteristics. In studies conducted in controlled greenhouse conditions, lettuce plants subjected to four different 4 different humic acid levels humic acid doses (0, 2, 4, 8 L/da) and 4 different heavy metal irrigation levels (Control: 0 ppm; I. mixture: 0.2 ppm Cu + 0.01 ppm Cd + 5 ppm Pb + 2 ppm Zn; II. mixture: : 0.4 ppm Cu + 0.02 ppm Cd + 10 ppm Pb + 4 ppm Zn; III. mixture: 0.8 ppm Cu + 0.04 ppm Cd + 20 ppm Pb + 8 ppm Zn). Four weeks after at heavy metal and humic acid treatment young plants were harvested and the shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, shoot and root length, and leaf areas, MDA, superoxyde dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) were determined. The most highly toxic effects were determinate III. mixture level (0.8 ppm Cu + 0.04 ppm Cd + 20 ppm Pb + 8 ppm Zn). MDA and antioxidative enzyme activities increased in plants irrigated with water containing a mixture of heavy metal. Humic acid applications had a positive effect on reducing of the limiting effect of heavy metal stress on growth and development.

We evaluated the effect of saw dust ash (SDA) and poultry droppings (PD) on soil physico-chemical properties, soil carbon and nitrogen stock and their effects on the growth and yield of okra (Abelmoshus esculentus) on a typic haplusult in Owerri, Imo State Southeastern Nigeria. The experiment was a factorial experiment consisted of saw dust ash applied at the rates of 0, 5 and 10 t/ha and poultry droppings applied at the rates of 0, 5 and 10 t/ha. The treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated four times. Results showed that plots amended with 10 t/ha PD + 10 t/ha SDA significantly reduced soil bulk density from 1.37 – 1.07 g/cm3, increased soil total porosity from 48.4 – 59.7% and the percentage of soil weight that is water (soil gravimetric moisture content) was increased by 68.4%. There were significant improvements on soil chemical properties with plots amended with 10 t/ha PD + 10 t/ha SDA recording the highest values on soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen and exchangeable bases. Plots amended with 10 t/ha PD + 10 t/ha SDA significantly increased soil carbon stock by 24% and soil nitrogen stock by 49.5% more than other treatments. There was significant increase in the growth of okra when compared to the un-amended soil with application of 10 t/ha PD + 10 t/ha SDA increasing the fresh okra pod yield by 78.5%. Significant positive correlation existed between SCS and organic carbon (r = 0.6128), exchangeable Mg (r= 0.5035), total nitrogen (r = 0.6167) and soil pH (r = 0.5221). SNS correlated positively with organic carbon (r = 0.5834), total nitrogen (r= 0.6101) and soil pH (r = 5150). Therefore applications of these agro-wastes are effective in improving soil properties, increasing soil carbon and nitrogen stock. From the results of the work, application of 10 t/ha PD + 10 t/ha SDA which was the treatment combination that improved soil properties and growth performances of okra than other treatments studied is hereby recommended for soil carbon and nitrogen stock improvement and okra production in the region.

Molasses, which is a traditional food substance obtained by boiling the fruit with local procedures and is abundantly eaten by Turkish people, are commonly produced from grapes. Zile, which is county of Tokat city placed in Central Black Sea region, is famous with molasses in Turkey. A special soil called as molasses soil containing CaO is added into to molasses in order to resolve acidification during production process. The purpose of this study is to determine the element concentration levels in grabe molasses soil samples collected from Zile by using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). For this purpose, thirty-eight elements and eleven oxides were detected in molasses soil samples. The average concentrations of six major oxides (MgO, Al2O3, SiO2, K2O, CaO and Fe2O3) were found as 1.58%, 7.96%, 17.01%, 1.01%, 30.52% and 8.72%, respectively. Also, the average concentrations of three minor (Na2O, P2O5 ,TiO2) and two trace (SO3, MnO) oxides were found as 0.96%, 0.12%, 0.95% and 0.04%, 0.1%, respectively.

In this study, corn silage with different ratios of by adding olive pomace olive industry by-product under laboratory conditions was aimed to determine the effects on nutrient contents, fermentation characteristics and in vitro digestibility. Olive pomace used in the research, was added in 0% (control), 20 and 40 levels in corn silage and ensiling period continued during 56 days. At the end of the ensiling period, differences seen in terms of dry matter content, organic matter, crude fat, acit detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, in each level consisting of corn silage is added to olive pomace were found significant but the crude protein content of the olive pomace-added silages decreased. The highest crude fiber value was determined in the silages added with 40% olive pomace. Crude ash, lactic acid, acetic acid, pH and CO2 differences seen in terms of rates were not found significant. Propoionic acid wasn’t found in the groups to which olive pomace was added, while butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen weren’t observed in all silage groups in the study. At the same time, in vitro organic matter, dry matter and neutral detergent fiber digestibility of silages increased in each level consisting of corn silage is added to olive pomace. As a result, it was considered result that olive pomace the oil industry by product can be a silo feed quality. In particular, the corns by adding 40% of the olive pomace made silage were obtained satisfactory results in terms of both physical and chemical properties.

Flavones and flavonoids are known to have potent antioxidant activity due to intracellular free radical scavenging capacities. Flavonoids are found ubiquitously in plants as a member of polyphenolic compounds which share diverse chemical structure and properties. Quercetin is among the most efficient antioxidants of the flavonoids. The antioxidant property of quercetin has been highlighted in this review. These compounds have pivotal role in treatment of diabetes, cancers and some cardiovascular diseases.

Genomic imprinting is expression of gene’s only one allele in one of homolog chromosome depending on its maternal or paternal origin. A waste number of genes which are under the imprinting effect were identified as it has a key role in mammalian growth. The first three genes which is identified as imprinted are Igf2r, Igf2 and H19 which are first discovered in mouse genome. Over a hundred genes are identified as imprinted in mammals. Most of the imprinted genes are considered as they have a key role in growth and differentiation. In this review, epigenetic regulators of imprinted genes in mammals were mentioned.

In Côte d’Ivoire, the most fermented cassava food product is “attiéké”. Various microorganisms involved in this fermentation process. Bacillus spp. are well-known for their multi-potential enzymatic activities. In this study, Bacillus spp. strains were studied for their ability of growing in environmental stress as follow: NaCl (2 to 9%) and lactic acid (0.1 to 1%). The growth of the studied strains was inhibited at 5% (1 strain), 7% (2 strains) and 8% (7 strains) for NaCl and beyond 0.25% for lactic acid. The ability of the isolated Bacillus strains to ferment cassava dough for “attiéké” production was also tested. The results of sensory tests showed that “attiéké” produced with Bacillus spp. strains was quite similar to “attiéké” control (traditional “attiéké”) except for the brilliance and granulation for which the control obtained the highest scores. The present research indicated that cassava dough fermentation, initiated by the inoculation of Bacillus strains associated with or without lactic acid bacteria should be useful to improve and standardize the quality of “attiéké” produced in Côte d’Ivoire.