Bayram Yildiz

FRUIT MORPHOLOGY OF SECTIONS OF THE GENUS ONOBRYCHIS MILLER (FABACEAE) AND ITS PHYLOGENETIC IMPLICATIONS

ABSTRACT In this study, fruit morphology of sections of the genus Onobrychis were examined. Fruit morphology origin, taxonomic position, and phylogeny of the genus are discussed. The hypothesis obtained from a phylogenetic analysis based on fruit morphology suggests the polyphyly of the genus excluding section Dendrobrychis. However, the result supports monophyly of four generic sections, Hymenobrychis + (Heliobrychis + (Lophobrychis + Onobrychis)).

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Achillea cretica L. (Asteraceae) from Turkey

Hydrodistilled volatile oil from the aerial parts of Achillea cretica L. (Asteraceae) was analysed by a combination of GC and GC/MS. Seventy-six components were identified, constituting 86.4% of the oil. The main constituents of the essential oil were caryophylladienol-II (13.4%), β-maaliene (6.1%), neo-intermedeol (6.0%), carvone (4.9%), spathulenol (4.5%), palmitic acid (3.3%) and selina-3,11-dien-6α-ol (3.2%). The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the broth-dilution method on nine microbial strains and showed to be quite strong against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. The antibacterial properties of A. cretica justify its use in traditional medicine for the treatment of wounds, contaminated through bacterial infections.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activities of the essential oils of Teucrium orientale var. orientale and Teucrium orientale var. puberulens

0009-3130/11/4705-0833 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 1) Inonu University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Analytical Chemistry, 44280 Malatya, Turkey, fax: +90 422 341 10 71, e-mail: zkucukbay@inonu.edu.tr; 2) Balikesir University Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, 10100 Balikesir, Turkey; 3) Inonu University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, 44280 Malatya, Turkey. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 729–731, September–October, 2011. Original article submitted June 8, 2010. Chemistry of Natural Compounds, Vol. 47, No. 5, November, 2011 [Russian original No. 5, September–October, 2011]

Pollen morphology of some Achillea L. sect. Babounya (DC.) O. Hoffm. (Asteraceae) species from Turkey

Abstract The pollen morphology and exine structure of 52 specimens of the 14 species (15 taxa) of the genus Achillea L. section Babounya (DC.) O. Hoffm. (Asteraceae) distributed in Turkey were examined with light and scanning electron (SEM) microscopes. The pollen characteristics of 13 species (except for Achillea tenuifolia Lam.) are newly reported here. The pollen grains were oblate-spheroidal, prolate-spheroidal, subprolate and generally tricolporate, but sometimes tetracolporate, and even pentacolporate. The size of grains varied, ranged from 21.20 to 45 μm on the polar axis mean, and from 18.10 to 43.14 μm on the equatorial axis mean. The structure of the exine was doubletectate (Anthemoid pattern) and mean of exine thickness varied from 3.61 to 8.16 μm. The sculpture was echinate both in light and SEM micrographs. Moreover, rugulate, microperforate and rugulate-microperforate ornamentations were observed in SEM. The results indicate that the examined species showed heterogeneity in pollen characteristics, both at an interspecies level and between specimens of a species collected from different localities. In addition, correlation between pollen size and chromosome number was discussed.