Spices and herbs are groups of vegetables with important properties for human health and food industries. They are generally consumed in cooked recipes and such treatment may affect the content of vital components such antioxidants. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of the cooking temperatures on total phenolics, flavonoids and vitamin C of some spices and herbs used in the locality of Bamenda, Cameroon. Briefly, the most consumed spices and herbs were selected through structured questionnaires administered to individuals involved in their consumption and selling. Thereafter, samples were collected and subjected to different boiling treatments and the levels of the antioxidants (flavonoids, phenols and vitamin C) were determined. Results showed that almost half the participants (48%) used Parsley, Basil, White pepper, Njansa, Mint and African nutmeg mainly for flavoring and medicinal purposes. The cooking temperature of 65°C increased total phenolics and flavonoids in spices (Mint, White pepper, Njangsa and African nutmeg) and herbs (Parsley, Basil) while higher heat treatments (75 and 85°C) lowered the content of these pytochemicals. Boiling of spices or herbs significantly and temperature dependently reduced the vitamin C content in all spice and herb samples with respect to the control raw samples. Summarily, the moderate boiling (65°C) treatment used by the local populations favors release of total phenolics and flavonoids though with some reducing effect on vitamin C.

Licorice, also known as the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra, has been used for many years in traditional medicine to treat various diseases. Licorice root has remarkable pharmacological properties and these biological effects are predominantly attributed to its content of polyphenols and flavonoids. The aim of this study was to determine the proliferative effect of licorice root extract on human osteoblast cells. The study groups were exposed to various concentrations of licorice root extract on 31.25, 62.5, 250, 500, 1000 μg/mL for 24, and 48 h. The proliferative effect of the extract on human osteoblast cells was assessed using the MTT assay. After 24 and 48 h, cell proliferation of groups treated were increased statistically significant compared to the control cells, and also all concentrations showing no cytotoxic effects on osteoblast cells. Phytomedical applications of licorice root may represent a promising approach in the treatment of periodontal regeneration and osteoporosis.

In this study, the effect of brown seaweed (Cystoseira barbata) and cattle manure combinations were investigated as a worm food on the properties of Eisenia fetida worm manure. Seaweed Cystoseira barbata were collected from the coast of Giresun, desalted and dried and then ground. Cattle manure was obtained from cattle breeding dairy and had covered and fermented. Food groups; 0% (control group); 5.45%; 10.90%; 21.81% and 43.63% of the algae were prepared and containing three replicates were given to the worms. The experiment was established in Giresun University Faculty of Science and Letters Biology laboratories according to randomized plot design. The vermicompost groups were analyzed in terms of plant nutrients and mineral levels. The obtained data showed that as the amount of algae increased in the formula and vermicompost groups, the metal levels of Zn, Ni, Fe, Pb, Cr, Mn, Mg and Cu decreased and carbon, CaCO3, N, P and K increased. This means that brown seaweed Cystoseira barbata, which grows naturally on our coasts, can be used in the structure of vermicompost.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of production system, slaughter age, and gender on the nutrient composition, fatty acids profile, and index values of breast and thigh meat in Alectoris chukar partridges. Partridges were slaughtered at 14, 16, and 18 weeks of age and skinless breast and thigh meat of male and female were used in the study (a total of 96 samples in 2 replicates). The production system affected only the crude fat level of the thigh meat in terms of nutrient composition and it was found higher in the intensive system compared to the free-range system. Age and gender did not significantly affect the composition of breast and thigh meat. In terms of fatty acid profile, erucic acid (C22:1n9) level in breast meat was higher in intensive system, while it was higher in thigh meat in free-range. While the percentage of docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n3) increased with age in breast meat, it decreased in thigh meat with age. While eicosenoic acid (C20:1) percentage was higher in breast meat of male birds compared to females, only stearic acid (C18:0) was found to be higher in thigh meat. Saturated fatty acids (SFA), linolenic acid (n3), thrombogenic index (TI) and atherogenic index (AI) values were higher in thigh meat produced in free-range system, while polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), total unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), linoleic acid (n6) and hypocholesterolaemic / hypercholesterolaemic ratio (h/H) were significantly higher in intensive system. While SFA and TI levels in thigh meat decreased with age, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), UFA and oleic acid (n9) percentages increased. MUFA / SFA in thigh meat of females was higher than males, other indexes were found insignificant. The results shows that partridges had desirable fatty acid composition. Especially, the increase in MUFA and UFA values with age in thigh meat compared to breast indicates that thigh meat is enriched in terms of unsaturated fatty acids. However, the higher SFA and AI values obtained in the free-range system could be considered a negative outcome for alternative production systems that prioritize bird welfare and consumer demands.

Ambient storage stability is one of the major constrains amidst drudges of homemade soymilk due to absence of stabilizer there by restricting the consumption to the production areas. Homemade stabilizers and stabilization becomes the only available option. Soymilk prepared from 12 h steeped and 72 h sprouted soybeans was subdivided and each batch stabilized with 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 3% levels of orange flesh sweet potato starches (OFSPS). Functional properties of the starches and proximate, vitamins, minerals, anti-nutrient, physicochemical, and sensory properties of stabilized soymilk samples were assessed with standard analytical methods. With increase in fortification levels, there were significant improvement in ash (0.84 to 0.88%), protein (4.14 to 4.24%), fibre (0.31 to 0.39%), fat (3.75 to 4.19%), carbohydrate (4.54 to 5.55%), vitamins B1 (0.29 to 0.4 mg/100g), B2 (0.10 to 0.14 mg/100g), B3 (1.03 to 1.13 mg/100g), C (0.86 to 1.09 mg/100g) and pro-vitamin A (5.75 to 6.14 µg/100g). Also improved are calcium (26.81 to 28.55 mg/100g), potassium (31.54 to 32.95 mg/100g), magnesium (44.40 to 46.82 mg/100g), sodium (32.73 to 33.43 mg/100g), iron (2.82 to 3.71 mg/100g), saponin (0.028 to 0.035 mg/100g), tannin (0.041 to 0.048 mg/100g), flavonoid (0.031 to 0.034 mg/100g), alkaloid (0.025 to 0.034 mg/100g), phenol (0.25 to 0.34 mg/100g), viscosity (4.89 to 5.60 mg/100g) and specific gravity (1.02 to 1.04 mg/100g). There were decrease in moisture (86.39 to 84.86%), pH (5.75 to 5.45), visible coagulation time (VCT) (28 to 14 d), foam stability (0.51 to 0.00) and general acceptability (6.84 to 4.84). Functional properties of the OFSPS flour were reasonably high. Despite the anti-nutrient increase, all the soymilk samples in this study were safe for human consumption and moderately accepted at maximum stabilization level of 1%.

Gıda güvenliği her tüketiciyi ilgilendiren önemli bir konudur. Gıda güvenliğinin sağlanması açısından gıda ürünlerinin üretim aşamasında alınacak önlemlerin yanı sıra tüketicilerin bilinç seviyesi de ayrıca önem taşımaktadır. Bugüne kadar yapılan çeşitli araştırmalarda, gıda zehirlenmelerinin veya gıdaya bağlı olarak ortaya çıkan çeşitli hastalıkların önemli bir kısmının evde yapılan yanlış gıda uygulamalarından kaynaklandığı belirlenmiştir. Bu araştırmada, gıda mühendisi adaylarının, gıda güvenliği konusunda bilgi seviyelerinin, tutum, yaklaşım ve risk algılarının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, görüşülen öğrencilerin %74,79’inin alışveriş sırasında ‘’her zaman’’ gıda ürünlerinin son kullanım tarihlerine baktıkları, et ürünleri satış yeri olarak en çok süper marketlere güvendikleri, genetiği değiştirilmiş ürünleri en riskli ürün grubu olarak değerlendirdikleri belirlenmiştir.

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were examined effects of apricot kernel oil (Prunus armeniaca L.) on the immune mechanisms. After Fish weight 40 ±0,03 g was intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection 1% and 10% apricot kernel oil (AKO), blood was taken from the caudal vein of anesthetized (50 ppm, benzocaine) fish. Myeloperoxidase production (MPO), Serum bactericidal activity, protein levels, Lysozyme response (LYS) and total immunoglobulin (Ig) were determined on days 3, 7, 14 and 21. The same strategy was conducted on a control bunch. No contrasts were found within the levels of immunuglobulin between the control and test groups. However, there were considerable increases in bactericidal activity, MPO, LYS, protein levels and important differences were detected between the control and experimental groups. AKO can be utilized to improve the resistant instruments of rainbow trout.

From all the pigments found in Spirulina platensis, phycocyanin has been found to have a diverse application in various fields, and has a high market demand, calling for a need to increase production and easy isolation methods. In general, phycocyanin production in cells depends on the light conditions, among other factors during the cultivation period. The focus of this study was to look at the effect of different light intensities on phycocyanin production in Spirulina platensis. Other cellular biochemical parameters, including chlorophyll content and protein, were explored under the different treatments. An experimental design containing 4 different light intensities of 20, 150, 300 and 600 μmol photons m2/s was administered with 3 replicates. The results obtained from the study showed that high phycocyanin content was obtained from a low light intensity treatment. Chlorophyll results were a bit in contrary to the results obtained for phycocyanin, with high chlorophyll content obtained in high light intensity treatments. Protein and biomass accumulation also followed the same trend, where they were observed to be higher in high light intensities, with the maximum biomass achieved at 600 μmol photons m2/s and maximum protein content achieved at 300 μmol photons m2/s. Due to the commercial potential of phycocyanin to humans, its low cost downstream cultivation and processing of Spirulina platensis will be of economic advantage to the relevant stakeholders to fulfil the rampant demands and affordability of the blue phycocyanin pigment to both first and third World countries, hence the need of producing phycocyanin using the modified Zarouk’s media which has cheaper if not affordable ingredients.

XIX. yüzyıldan itibaren endüstrileşme ve teknolojide yaşanan ilerlemeler ile iş imkânlarının şehir merkezlerinde yoğunlaşması, köyden şehre göçü hızlandırmıştır. Göç alan illerin başında Ankara; başkent olması nedeni ile ilk sıralarda yer almaktadır. Şehirlerde artan nüfus rekreasyon alanlarına rağbeti artmıştır. Özellikle göl, gölet, baraj ve akarsu kıyılarında rekreasyon olta balıkçılığı yapanlar hızla artmaktadır. Maddi ve ticari kazanç beklemeden, sadece spor veya dinlence amacıyla yapılan, avlanılan ürünün satılmadığı olta balıkçılığı, en önemli rekreasyon etkinliklerindendir. Bu çalışmada Ankara ilindeki amatör balıkçıların sosyo-ekonomik durumları araştırılmıştır. Amatör balıkçıların avlanma mevsimleri, avlanma saatleri ve süreleri, avlarının kendilerine yeterliliği, avlandıkları stokların sürekliliği ve avlanmada göreceli av miktarının durumu tespit edilmiştir. Yakaladıkların balıkların sağlık açısında güvenilirliği, avlanma kuralları hakkında görüş ve düşünceleri, amatör olta balıkçılığı belgesine sahiplik durumu, yasa ve yönetmelikleri denetleyen bir kurumlardan haberdar olup olmadıkları araştırılmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarının, rekreasyon olta balıkçılığına gönül vermiş balıkçılara ışık tutması amaçlanmıştır. Ayrıca bilinç düzeyinin yükseltilerek sürdürülebilir ve sürekli balıkçılığın sağlanmasına katkıda bulunacak bilinç düzeyi yüksek amatör balıkçıların sayısının artırılmasına katkı sağlanması da hedeflenmiştir.

Analysing the factors driving the population size and activities of soil microorganisms is important for understanding the soil ecosystem’s structure and functioning. For this purpose, the soil enzymes are used as an indicator of soil microbial activity and soil fertility. Although there are many studies on the distribution and activities of various soil enzymes in soils under monoculture or crop alternation conditions, there are only few studies examining the ecological relationship in natural ecosystems, especially by using enzymes. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of different land uses on the catalase enzyme activity in soil. For this purpose, the catalase enzyme activities in soil samples taken from 0-5cm and 5-10cm depths in agricultural, forest, and pasture lands in north and south exposures were determined and the effects of different land use, exposure, and soil depth conditions on the enzyme activities were investigated. At the end of the study, it was determined that the catalase enzyme activity significantly differed by the land use and the highest level of catalase enzyme activity in both south and north exposures and at both depth levels was found in forest soils, whereas the lowest level of activity was found in agricultural lands in north exposure and pasture soils in south exposure.