Murad Aydin Sanda

Agricultural waters may be a source of produce contamination in the fields. The purpose of this study was to determine microbiological quality of agricultural surface water sources in Muş plain. Water samples were examined for four different agricultural surface water resources including two ponds and two streams during the agricultural season. The population of total coliform and fecal coliform were enumerated with Most Probable Number in 100 mL water samples (MPN 100 mL). Generic Escherichia coli populations were determined as MPN and CFU isolates in 100 mL water samples. Generic E. coli isolates were recovered for antibiotic susceptibility test and genetic relationships analyses with RAPD PCR. The presence of Salmonella was also determined in 100 mL water samples with confirmation of InvA gene presence after isolation of presumptive colonies. Total coliform population reached >2.96 log MPN 100 mL-1. The E. coli population in all surface water sources ranged from 0 to >2.96 log MPN 100 mL-1 and 0 to 2.78 log CFU 100 mL-1. The presence of Salmonella was found to be positive in a total of three water samples in two sources (5%). E. coli isolates were found to be resistant to rifampicin (100%), erythromycin (100%), and vancomycin (97.05%). Generic E. coli populations isolated from streams were not grouped together in similar clusters. Results of this study indicate that agricultural surface water sources in Muş Plain may contain could be a contamination source when in contact with the produce.

The Mycobiota of Samanlı Mountains were investigated in this study. Specimens were collected during 3 years between November 2012 and November 2015. 510 macrofungal taxa belonging to 197 genera within 84 families were recorded with field and laboratory studies. Of these, 37 genera and 57 taxa belong to Ascomycota, while 160 genera and 453 taxa belong to Basidiomycota. Nine species were found for the first time in Turkey from Basidiomycota. These taxa are Amanita subnudipes (Romagn.) Tulloss, Hebeloma quercetorum Quadr., Hygrocybe obrussea (Fr.) Wunsche, Lactarius mediterraneensis Llistosella & Bellù, Lactifluus glaucescens (Crossl.) Verbeken, Russula lilacea Quél., R. rubra (Lam.) Fr., Stereopsis reidii Losi & A. Gennari and Tricholoma roseoacerbum A. Riva. The Stereopsidaceae family and the genus Stereopsis D.A. Reid was found for the first time in Turkey.The richest families in terms of the number of taxa are Russulacea with 58 taxa (11.3%), Agaricaceae with 46 taxa (8.9%), Tricholomataceae with 43 taxa (8.4%), Boletaceae with 32 taxa (6.2%), Polyporaceae with 23 taxa (4.5%) and the most crowded genera are Russula Pers. with 41 taxa (8%), Tricholoma (Fr.) Staude with 26 taxa (5%), Amanita Dill. ex Boehm. with 19 taxa (3.7%), Lactarius Pers. with 16 taxa (3.1%) and Inocybe (Fr.) Fr. with 14 taxa (2.7%). The ecological status of the species is as follows; 245 (48%) are saprobe, 226 (45%) are mycorrhizal, 20 (3.7%) are lignicolous, 18 (2.9%) are parasite, and one is entomopathogenic. Habitat distribution in the research area is as follows: 300 species in Abies nordmanniana (Stev.) Spach. subsp. bornmuelleriana (Mattf.) Coode & Cullen forest, 295 species in Fagus orientalis Lipsky forest, 125 species in Quercus spp. forest, 88 species in Pinus nigra J.F.Arnold forest, 56 species in Castanea sativa Mill. forest, 53 species in Pinus sylvestris L. forest, 49 species in Carpinus orientalis Mill. forest and 24 species in Pinus maritima Lam. forest.

This study was targeted to characterize the chemical composition and antibacterial properties of Daphne oleoides subsp. oleoides essential oil. The essential oil was analyzed and quantified by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Additionally, the broth dilution method was used to evaluate its antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus (ATCC 11778), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 12228), Streptococcus faecalis (ATTC 29212), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 25933), Proteus vulgaris (ATCC 13315), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Salmonella typhi Ty2 (ATCC 19430). Seventy-nine compounds were identified, representing 95.2% of the total oil. Nootkatone (18.5%), nootkatin (12.1%), and daphnauranol C (11.7%) were determined as the main constituents in the oil. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes were dominating in the oil (43.0%), followed by fatty acid derivatives (13.7%) and carbonylic compounds (9.6%). The minimal inhibitory/bactericidal concentrations of essential oils of D. oleoides were in the range from 25–100 μg/mL, which can be considered as high activity in comparison with the reference antibiotic which was active in the rangefrom 3.12–100 μg/mL. The greatest minimal inhibitory concentration value was determined as 25 µg/mL against both two Bacillus strains and S. epidermidis, B. cereus, B. subtilis, and S. aureus were the most sensitive strains against essential oils when compared with the minimal inhibitory concentrations of control antibiotic. Consequently, Daphne oleoides subsp. oleoides can be exploited as a source of natural antibacterial agents and nootkatone for the pharmaceutical, food, and agricultural industries.

In this study, fatty acid compositions of six Centaurea species growing in the Konya region were determined. The fatty acid composition of Centaurea balsamita, Centaurea calolepis, Centaurea carduiformis subsp. carduiformis, Centaurea cariensis subsp. maculiceps, C. cariensis subsp. microlepis and Centaurea iberica were analysed. Four species of these six Centaurea are endemic to Turkey. The endemic Centaurea species are C. calolepis, C. carduiformis subsp. carduiformis, C. cariensis subsp. maculiceps and C. cariensis subsp. microlepis. Generally, C 18:2 ω6 linoleic acid, C 16:0 palmitic acid, C 18:3 ω3 linolenic acid and C 18:1 oleic acid were found to be the major fatty acids in all species. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were found in higher amounts than saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids in all species. PUFAs were determined at 55.10%, 50.25%, 51.41%, 41.02%, 46.18% and 58.80% in C. balsamita, C. calolepis, C. carduiformis subsp. carduiformis, C. cariensis subsp. maculiceps, C. cariensis subsp. microlepis and C. iberica, respectively.

The chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from the leaves of the Laurus nobilis plant (from the Northern Cyprus Mountains) by hydrodistillation was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Of the 81 compounds representing 98.74% of total oil, monocyclic monoterpenes such as 1,8-cineole (58.59%), α -terpinyl acetate (8.82%), and terpinene-4-ol (4.25%) were the main components. Bicyclic monoterpenes such as α - and β - pinene (3.39–3.25%) and sabinene (3.32%) were also identified. The acyclic monoterpenes linalool (0.19%) and myrcenol (0.10%) were present in smaller amounts, and so were the sesquiterpenes. o -Cymene (1.30%) and p -cymene (1.83%) were the main, while cumin aldehyde (0.24%), dimethylstyrene (0.08%), eugenol (0.16%), methyl eugenol (0.05%), and carvacrol (0.05%) were found as minor, aromatic compounds of laurel oil.

The concentrations of 7 metals (lead, cadmium, manganese, copper, nickel, silver, and chromium) were determined in 32 different species of wild mushrooms. The mushroom samples, which have been using for food and some medical purposes, were collected from Konya, an Inner Anatolian region of Turkey. The highest metal concentrations were determined as 39 mg/kg Pb and 3.72 mg/kg Cd in Trichaptum abietinum 467 mg/kg Mn in Panaeolus sphinctrinus, 326 mg/kg Cu in Trametes versicolor, 69.4 mg/kg Ni in Helvella spadicea, 6.97 mg/kg Ag in Agaricus campestris, and 84.5 mg/kg Cr in Phellinus igniarius. The maximum contents are 1.52, 2.22, and 60.2 mg/kg in Pleurotus eryngii (for Pb), Amanita vaginata (for Cd), and Helvella leucomelana (for Cu), respectively. These results were compared according to the WHO/FAO standard.

Morphology and anatomy of an endemic plant from Turkey, Thermopsis turcica Kit Tan, Vural & Küçüködük, belonging to Fabaceae have been investigated. The species had a perennial rhizome, an erect stem and compound leaves consisting of three leaflets. Morphological and anatomical research findings have been presented by photographs, drawings and tables.