This paper provides a detailed overview of the current situation of the coffee sector in the Rwandan economy and identifies the possible challenges that the sector is currently facing. The study has identified the economic and the livelihood indicators for farmers who are engaged in coffee production and also gives the Rwandan coffee sector’ situation and its position in the global coffee market. Also, the research has found out that in Rwanda, nearly 500,000 farmers produce coffee along with other crops, notably beans, savory banana and corn and found out that in 2012, coffee accounted for almost 30 percent of Rwanda’s total export revenue. On the other hand, the study revealed that the sector throughout all the coffee production process, has undergone different challenges especially climate change as it is reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal resources. A low yield was reported in 2007 and climate variability was quoted among the causes. Insufficient rainfall in the last three months of 2006 (the period of coffee flowering) proceeding the short dry season in the first two months of 2007 was recorded. The reduced rainfall was also poorly distributed across coffee growing regions in Rwanda. In addition, the research revealed that even though the area under coffee production is increasing, the coffee production is decreasing due to unexpected climate change and variability in current years and also the improper use of chemical fertilizers by coffee farmers is very critical. The study concluded that adding value to the coffee supply chain of Rwanda is adding direct economic benefits and important indirect social benefits to the lives of individuals and to the health of communities in Rwanda. Moreover, more effort should continue to raise the profile of the Rwandan coffee sector suggesting that proper use of chemical fertilizers, solid marketing channels and climate change adaptations measures would be the fair ways of making the sector more profitable and considering national targets to increase coffee export revenues, a few simple measures to improve the performance of the sector could have substantial effects on the country’s economic growth.

Demir (Fe) noksanlığı dünyada bitkilerde ve insanlarda görülen önemli bir beslenme problemidir. Bu sorun aynı zamanda Türkiye’de de yaygın bir beslenme problemi olup ayçiçeği, önemli derecede verim ve kalite kayıplarına yol açan Fe noksanlığına duyarlı bir tür olarak bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmada farklı ayçiçeği genotiplerinin Fe noksanlığına karşı duyarlılığı test edilmiştir. Çalışmada, bitki materyali olarak, TR-6149-SA, TR-3080 ve 6480 genotipleri kullanılmıştır. Bitkiler, Fe’siz (0 µmol Fe) ve Fe (100 µmol Fe) içeren su kültürü yetiştirme ortamında test edilmiştir. Deneme sonunda bitkilerde simptom derecesi, SPAD değeri, klorofil konsantrasyonu, yeşil aksam kuru madde verimi, Fe-redüktaz enzim aktivitesi, yeşil aksam Fe konsantrasyonu ve büyüme ortamının pH değeri ölçülmüştür. Sonuçlar ayçiçeği bitkisinin Fe noksanlığını etkileyen en önemli faktörlerin Fe alımı ve Fe-redüktaz aktivitesi olduğunu göstermiştir. Çeşitlerin Fe noksanlığına karşı toleransta önemli rolü olan köklerin Fe redüktaz enzim aktivitesinin TR-3080 nolu genotipde Fe noksanlığı koşullarında diğer genotiplerden daha yüksek olduğu bulunmuştur. Sonuç olarak, uygulanan değişik Fe konsantrasyonlarına karşı genotiplerin tepkilerinin önemli derecede farklılık gösterdiği ve Fe noksanlığına karşı tolerant genotiplerin belirlenmesinde Fe redüktaz enzim aktivitesinin önemli rol oynayabileceği ortaya çıkmıştır.

The objectives of this study were to estimate the protein degradability of extruded full fat soybean (ESB) by in situ (nylon bag) and in vitro enzymatic method and to develop an equation in order predict in situ degradability from in vitro values. In the study enzymatic technique; hydrolysis after 1 h (INV1) and after 24 h (INV24) by a purified protease extracted from Streptomyces griseus in a borate-phosphate buffer at pH 8 was used as in vitro method. Relationship between in situ effective protein degradability (INSE) and in vitro degradability after 1 and 24 hours incubations (INV1 and INV24) were determined. In situ protein degradability was measured at 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 48 and at 72 h incubations in the rumen of 3 Holstein cows. In the study INSE, INV1 and INV24 were determined as 58.05, 20.24 and 41.46% respectively. Despite there were differences between in situ and in vitro protein degradability values, correlation coefficients between in situ and in vitro protein degradability of ESB were high and regression equations for estimation of in situ from in vitro were found significant. As conclusion in vitro enzymatic protein degradability (INV1 and INV24) can be used for estimation of in situ effective protein degradability of extruded full fat soybean.

Bu çalışma, Salmonella spp. ile deneysel olarak kontamine edilen broiler pirzolalarının 4oC’de muhafazasında bu patojen üzerine asidifiye sodyum klorit (ASK) ve ASK içeren sosun etkilerini incelemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Örnekler 4oC’de muhafaza edilerek 0., 2., 3., 5. ve 7. günlerde Salmonella spp. yönünden incelenmiştir. Salmonella spp. sayısı bakımından hem günler hem de gruplar arasındaki farkın önemli olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Salmonella spp. sayısında en fazla azalma 2,14 log kob/g ile 1800 ppm ASK çözeltisi uygulanan grupta, en az etki ise 0,08 log kob/g ile 1200 ppm ASK içeren sos uygulanan grupta belirlenmiştir. Kontrol ve sadece marinat uygulanan gruplarda ise patojen sayısında artış belirlenmiştir. Araştırma sonunda Salmonella spp. sayısı üzerine en yüksek antimikrobiyel etkinin 1200 ppm ve 1800 ppm ASK içeren çözeltilerde 2 dakika bekletildikten sonra muhafaza edilen broiler pirzolalarında olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu nedenle, asidifiye sodyum klorit çözeltisinin broiler pirzolalarında Salmonella spp. riskinin azaltılmasında etkili olacağı sonucuna varılmıştır.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of substituting different levels of sun-dried Irish potato peel meal (SPPM) for maize in diets of broiler chickens. Five diets in which SPPM was replaced with 0 (0SPPM), 25 (25SPPM), 50 (50SPPM), 75 (75SPPM) and 100% (100SPPM) of maize in starter and finisher diets for a 8 week period using broiler chickens were examined. A total of 300 two weeks old broilers chicks Anak 2000 were randomly allotted to five experimental diets with six pen per treatment and 10 birds chicks per pen. Body weight and feed intake of broilers, and feed conversion ratio were determined at the beginning and 56th day of the experiment respectively. On day 56, four broilers from each pen were selected and slaughtered to determine some carcass characteristics and serum biochemistry. The result of growth performance showed that 100SPPM decreased daily weight gain of chickens when compared to other SPPM levels (P

Dracocephalum moldavica L. has been used as both treatment of coronary heart disorders and food supplements. In the present study, determination of total phenolic and flavonoid content in methanol, ethanol and methanol/ethanol extracts of leaf was studied in Iranian Moldavian balm for the first time. Antioxidant activity of the studied plant was also measured. The methanol extract had the highest phenolic and flavonoid content, anthocyanin, DPPH and H2O2 radical scavenging activity. The ethanol extract showed the least amount of all. The methanol/ethanol extract showed the highest amount in two oxides including nitric and superoxide radical scavenging activities; it also showed the highest Ferric Reducing Ability Power. The obtained chromatograms of the plant using High Performance Liquid Chromatography showed that the highest and the lowest found phenolic compounds were caffeic acid and vanilic acid, respectively. The results show that this plant is a suitable natural antioxidant to reduce the oxidative stress in human being.

Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables have longer shelf lives when appropriate packaging materials having proper permeability properties are used. For this reason eight different packaging materials having different permeability properties were used and it was aimed to determine the appropriate packaging material and analytical and mathematical shelf lives of fresh cut red cabbage. Head space analysis, microbiological and sensorial analysis together with pH, weight loss (%) and colour analysis were performed. As a result of the study, it was determined that low density polyethylene (LDPE) film having 20 µm of thickness and 12276 cc/m2-day of oxygen permeability was determined as the most suitable packaging material for packaging of fresh-cut red cabbage. Mathematical microbiological shelf life was determined as 12.33 days and both analytical microbiological and sensorial shelf lives were determined as 12 days. It was shown that Gompertz equation can be used in determination of microbiological shelf life of fresh-cut red cabbage since the analytical and mathematical shelf life results fit to each other. Also, the equation that can be used in calculation of shelf life of fresh-cut red cabbage when packaged with AYPE film having 12276 cc/m2-day oxygen permeability was determined as log(Nt/N0) = 6,83 × exp{-exp{[(0,80*e)(6,83-t)/6,83]+1}}.

This study was evaluated the quality properties of traditional drink sherbets that are prepared from black mulberry and blueberry fruits. After production sherbets were investigated to determine their pH, acidity, °brix and colour values, total sugar, phenolic, anthocyanin and antioxidant contents. Moreover the sherbets stored at 4°C during 2 months and the changes in these quality properties were examined per month. As a result statistically significant changes were observed in the quality properties of these sherbets of black mulberry and blueberry fruits which are known with their rich content of phytochemical compounds. The results show that in blueberry sherbet the degradation of phenolics was faster than black mulberry sherbet. Anthocyanins that are higher in black mulberry sherbets after production were preserved better in blueberry sherbets at the end of 2nd month. L*and a* values decreased for blackberry and blueberry sherbets during storage. b* value decreased from 5.59 to 4.92 for blackberry sherbet while it increased from 0.62 to 0.79 for blueberry sherbet at the end of the storage time.

This study aimed to compare the dietary supplementation of oleuropein (O) and α-tocopherol acetate (TA) alone or with organic selenium (Se) on liver antioxidant status and some plasma biochemistry parameters in Japanese quails reared under heat stress (HS). A total of 800, two-weeks old quails were kept in wire cages in the temperature-controlled rooms at either 22°C or 34°C for 8 h/d and fed on a basal diet (NC) or the diets supplemented with TA (TA200) or O (O200) at 200 mg/kg alone or with OSe (TA200+OSe and O200+OSe) to the NC diet. HS decreased the total antioxidant status (TAS) and increased the total oxidative stress (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) of liver compared to thermoneutral temperature (TN). The TA200, O200, TA200+OSe and O200+OSe diets increased TAS and decreased TOS of liver compared to those of quails fed NC. OSI was decreased by the TA200, O200 and TA200+OSe diets compared to NC and O200+OSe diets. HS reduced plasma albumin (A) and total protein (TP) concentrations, on the other hand, increased plasma glucose (G), total cholesterol (CHO) and triglyceride (TG) levels compared to TN. The TA200, O200, TA200+OSe and O200+OSe diets reduced plasma total CHO and TG levels and increased plasma A level. The TA200 and TA200+OSe diets reduced plasma G level and increased plasma TP levels compared to those of quails fed the other diets. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of vitamin E and oleuropein alone or with organic selenium is necessary to remove the negative effects of heat stress on liver antioxidant status and some plasma parameters of quails.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of Bayvarol®, Fumidil-B®, Neo-Terramycin® on adult honeybee lifespan. Total twenty honeybee colonies were used and randomly divided into four groups (each group consisted of five colonies). Experimental groups: Bayvarol ®, Fumidil-B® and Neo-Terramycin® were treated to first, second and third groups, respectively. No treatment was done to forth group taken as control group. A hundred one day old worker bees were taken from each group and marked with different colors and numbered on the thorax. After the marked, all worker bees were given into the observation hive. Marked worker bees were controlled and counted daily. Statistical analysis of data was done by variance analysis method and between groups comparisons were done with Duncan's multiple range tests. Average lifespans of the first, second, third and control groups were 44.97±4.90, 46.86±6.56, 45.38±6.12 and 47.72±6.06 days, respectively. There were found statistically significant differences among average lifespan of first, second, third and control groups. This study showed that some drugs used to treat diseases and pests reasoned a negative effect on the lifespan of honeybees.