The botanical heritage of a region is an important resource for local people, which allows them to treat themselves with plants that have already been experienced from generation to generation for their benefits and effectiveness. The aim of this study was to highlight the different uses of lentisk pistachio products in the region of Jijel (Algeria). Systematic surveys have been carried out among different categories of people, by age group; have shown a growing interest in the use of medicinal plants. Two approaches (observation, and interview) were used to support this study, with an ethnobotanical worksheet, to obtain other recipes and more information on lentisk benefits and uses. The survey data processing showed that the lentisk is used for therapeutic purposes, to treat diseases of the skin (29%) and respiratory system (28%). The main and most used part of the plant is its berries. The plant is harvested in a spontaneous state and the picking of berries is done from November (in winter). Oil extraction is the principal preparation (72%). The use of resinous gum was not mentioned. Ten percent of surveys gave culinary recipes for some traditional meals preferred by Jijelians. The current study highlighted the ancestral practices and uses of the lentisk by Jijelians. It is necessary to develop this niche and promote its value chain in order to consolidate the economy of the local population.

The aim of this study was to investigate food safety knowledge levels according to the socio-demographic profiles of young food handlers and to find out the determinants of the knowledge level. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Türkiye; it consisted of sections including hygienic design, freezing and thawing, preparation, cooking and reheating, service, storage, and foodborne diseases sections. The food safety knowledge level differed according to gender, age, income, grade level, and intership status. Participants who coded 60% of the survey statements correctly were considered to have “good” food safety knowledge. Knowledge about cooking and reheating, foodborne diseases, and service was found to be at a poor level, but food safety knowledge (overall) was good (68%). The correct score ratio was found to be the highest for hygienic design. Binary logistic regression presented that gender, income, grade level, and internship status significantly affected knowledge level. The strongest predictors were found to be income of $638-$850 (exp (β)=12.9) and more than $850 (exp (β)=4.6), respectively. This study highlights that female students under the age of 25 with an income of more than $638, who have not yet completed an internship, have the highest level of food safety knowledge. This study presented a holistic approach to the food safety knowledge of young food handlers. These insights can contribute to the development of hygiene/sanitation and food safety course content for culinary and gastronomy students.

Kaymak is a traditional Turkish dairy product with high fat and moisture, and low protein content. According to the Turkish Food Codex, Kaymak must contain at least 60% milk fat. Obesity is one of the most important health problems of our era, and there have been many initiatives to reduce the fat content of ready-to eat consumer products. In this study, the effect of emulsifying salts (trisodium citrate, disodium phosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate) on texture and sensory properties of reduced fat Kaymak (30% fat) was investigated. Emulsifying salts were used in the manufacture at two different concentrations (5 and 10 mM) and a reduced fat Kaymak without emulsifying salts was used as control. Manufacturing reduced fat Kaymak with 10 mM trisodium citrate and 5 mM tetrasodium pyrophosphate increased Kaymak hardness. Samples manufactured with 10 mM trisodium citrate exhibited the highest sensory quality, while Kaymaks manufactured with 10 mM tetrasodium pyrophosphate received lowest sensory scores. In conclusion, 10 mM trisodium citrate successfully improved textural and sensory properties of reduced fat Kaymak.

In this study, a new bitter chocolate with functional properties was produced by using different tempering temperatures with different ratios of wolfberry addition and physicochemical, antioxidant, textural and sensory properties of these chocolates were determined. It was observed that fruit ratios on bitter chocolate had a statistically significant (P<0.01) effect on DPPH, ABTS and hardness values, while there was no significant effect on total flavonoid amounts. It was determined that tempering temperature had a significant effect (P<0.01) on pH, reducing sugar, sucrose, total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH, ABTS, total flavonoids (TFC) and hardness values, while it had no significant effect on total dry matter and total sugar values. The rich total phenolic and antioxidant content of the added wolfberry fruit and its substitution for sugar improved the functional properties of the chocolate. As a result of the study, it was possible to introduce a value-added functional product with wolfberry additive to the market, thus pioneering the production of new products as well as the fresh use of the fruit.

In this research, it is aimed to determine the factors affecting the innovation level of agricultural enterprises. Konya province was chosen as the research area because it is one of the important agricultural production centres in Türkiye. Stratified random sampling method was used within the scope of the study. A total of 268 agricultural enterprise owners were interviewed face to face and survey data were compiled. Multiple regression model was applied in the analysis of the factors affecting the perception of innovations by the operator. In this research, considering the characteristics of the data collected by the questionnaire, the linear regression model, which uses functional forms in regression models, was used. In the study, innovation index was taken as the dependent variable in the linear regression model. Independent variables were determined as education, experience, number of parcels, amount of land, active capital, amount of land, agricultural income, following innovations, receiving training on agricultural issues, participating in agricultural activities, following events related to agriculture on social media and cooperation with institutions. As a result of the model, a positive relationship was determined between education, experience, number of parcels, amount of land, active capital, amount of land, agricultural income, following innovations, receiving training on agriculture-related issues, participating in agriculture-related activities, following agriculture-related events on social media and cooperation with institutions and innovation index.

This study aimed to conduct an econometric analysis of thyme production in Denizli province agricultural enterprises. The data used in the research were obtained through face-to-face questionnaires in 82 agricultural enterprises determined according to the Simple Random Sampling Method. Research findings revealed that to obtain an average yield of 95.10 kg per decare, 10.296 seedlings, 8,93 cc pesticides, 52.34 kg of chemical fertilizers, 16.57 liters of diesel, 4.49 hours of machinery, and 17.84 hours of labor were needed. In this study, the relationships between the amount of thyme production and the number of seedlings, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and the machinery used in the whole production, the amount of diesel, the amount of labor used, and the production area were analyzed with the help of the Cobb-Douglas production function. The coefficient of determination for the estimation equation was 0.89 and was found to be significant at the 1% level. Among the variables included in the estimation equation, the production elasticity coefficients of pesticide use and diesel use were negative, while the production elasticity coefficients of the seedling number, chemical fertilizer amount, labor, and production area variables were found to be positive. The fact that the sum of the production elasticity coefficients of the factors in the estimation equation for the amount of thyme production (∑βi) was 1.12 indicates there is increasing returns to scale. Among the variables in the production function, the variables with marginal efficiency coefficient above 1 were determined as the production area (3.20) and the fertilizer factor (1.33). The research findings revealed that production factors, except fertilizer amount and production area inputs, were not used effectively in thyme production.

In the present study, some microbial, chemical, and physicochemical characteristics occurring during ripening were observed in unpackaged and vacuum-packed Kashar cheese samples. Some microbial and chemical properties of Kashar cheese samples were studied Also, the free fatty acid ratio was determined with the SDS-Page Electrophoresis to determine proteolysis during the ripening period and with the High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) for lipolysis. Physical, chemical, and microbiological analyzes were made at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 days of ripening during which the changes in the number of microbiologically total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAMB), Lactobacillus spp., Lactococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., yeast-mold, lipolytic, and proteolytic bacteria were determined. In the present study, % lactic acid, pH, dry matter percentage, color parameters (L, a and b values) and water activity (aw) were analyzed during ripening and the changes during storage were defined. Lactobacillus spp., Lactococcus spp., TAMB, and proteolytic bacteria counts and % lactic acid ratios were higher in vacuum-packed Kashar cheeses. It was found that lipolysis and proteolysis were higher in cheese samples stored open during ripening.

Dahi is a fermented milk product containing probiotic lactic acid bacteria. This study aimed to isolate, identify, and characterize lactic acid-producing bacteria from native Dahi and evaluate their viability in orange juice using natural prebiotics. Dahi samples were obtained from local shops in Chattogram and Bogura, Bangladesh. Lactic acid-producing bacteria were isolated using MRS (de Mann Rogosa and Sharpe) medium. The isolated bacteria were identified through colony morphology, biochemical tests, and probiotic characteristics. Molecular identification was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting conserved 16S rDNA regions. Isolates of the genus Lactobacillus and Lactococcus lactis sp. Lactis were confirmed and used to develop probiotic orange juice. Prebiotics (Asparagus falcatus and Zingiber officinale) were added to the juice to support probiotic growth. The inoculated cell’s viability and the juice’s physicochemical parameters were evaluated during fermentation (48 hours) and storage (28 days). All fruit juice samples showed a mean number of viable cells of at least 1×105 CFU/mL during the 48-hour fermentation and 28-day storage in the refrigerator. Using natural prebiotics positively affected the survival of lactic acid bacteria, as demonstrated by bacterial colony growth on Petri dishes. Developing probiotic fruit juice enriched with prebiotics could be an effective alternative for individuals allergic or intolerant to milk-based products. Incorporating lactic acid bacteria from native Dahi into orange juice, combined with natural prebiotics, resulted in viable probiotic cells throughout fermentation and storage.

The growth and mortality parameters were examined for the annular seabream Diplodus annularis collected from the Didim coast, Southern Aegean Sea. A total of 654 annular seabream individuals, 263 female (40.21%) and 391 male (59.79%), were sampled by commercial trawlers and gillnets from September 2022 to January 2024. The total length varied between 9.0 and 24.3 cm for females, 8.6 and 24.0 cm for males, and the weight varied between 8.60 and 146.57 g for females, 7.00 and 128.96 g for males. The length-weight relationships were calculated for females, males, and all individuals as W = 0.0115 x L2.9641, W = 0.0131 x L2.8995, and W = 0.0118 x L2.9440, respectively. The growth pattern was determined as negative allometric. The maximum age class was V for both females and males. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were L∞ = 25.27 cm, k = 0.424 year-1, t0 = -0.308 years for females; L∞ = 25.63 cm, k = 0.338 year-1, t0 = -0.935 years for males; L∞ = 27.43 cm, k = 0.283 year-1, t0 = -1.121 years for all individuals. The growth performance index (Φ´) for females, males, and all individuals were 2.432, 2.347, and 2.329, respectively. This study provides the first information on the growth and mortality parameters of D. annularis along the Didim coast, southern Aegean Sea.

This research aimed to examine the impact of resveratrol and catalase on the motility, plasma membrane integrity, acrosomal membrane integrity, and mitochondrial activity of Ankara buck semen following freeze-thawed process. In this study, semen samples obtained from four mature bucks were divided into four groups: control (C), resveratrol 500 µM/ml (R), catalase 50 IU/ml (CAT), and resveratrol 500 µM/ml + catalase 50 IU/ml (CATR). After dilution with Tris/egg yolk extender, the semen samples were frozen in liquid nitrogen and then thawed for assessment. The CATR group gave the highest values across all evaluated parameters (motility, plasma membrane integrity, acrosomal membrane integrity, and mitochondrial activity) compared to the other groups (61 ± 1.0%, 72.6 ± 0.70%, 70.73 ± 0.67%, 60.9 ± 0.79%, respectively) (p<0.05). In conclusion, the combination of catalase and resveratrol significantly improved the quality of buck semen after freeze-thawed process, thereby contributing to enhanced reproductive outcomes and genetic preservation.