Ertuğrul Sesli

Levels of trace elements in the fruiting bodies of macrofungi growing in the East Black Sea region of Turkey

Abstract Contents of Hg, Pb, Cd, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Co and As have been determined spectrometrically in fruiting bodies of 109 wild and two cultivated macrofungi specimens. The specimens of macrofungi were collected from the East Black Sea region in Turkey. The habitat, edibility and the distributions of the taxa to the families are listed ©

Evaluation of trace metal contents of some wild edible mushrooms from Black sea region, Turkey

Fructification organs of Calvatia excipuliformis, Lycoperdon perlatum, Laccaria amethystea, Armillaria mellea, Marasmius oreades, Xerula radicata, Cantharellus cibarius, Craterellus cornucopioides, Cantharellus tubaeformis, Hypholoma fasciculare, Clitocybe gibba, Collybia dryophila, Lepista nuda and Mycena aetites were collected from different localities in Black sea region of Turkey. Their trace metals concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry after wet and microwave digestion. The results were (as mg/kg) 150-1741 for iron, 15.5-73.8 for copper, 28.6-145 for manganese, 43.5-205 for zinc, 4.8-42.7 for aluminium and 0.9-2.6 for lead. The levels of lead analyzed in some edible mushroom samples were found to be higher than legal limits. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) were found below 10%. The accuracy of procedure was confirmed by certified reference material.

Fatty acid and amino acid compositions of selected wild-edible mushrooms consumed in Turkey

The fatty acid and amino acid compositions of 11 mushroom species commonly consumed were collected from the East Black Sea region of Turkey and analyzed. All species were characterized by a high content of linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) and glutamic acid. The highest content of linoleic acid (78.0%) and glutamic acid (29.4 μg/mg dry weight [d.w.]) was found in Agaricus arvensis and the lowest in Cantharellus tubaeformis, 19.8% and 10.9 μg/mg d.w., respectively. The average content of amino acids for all species was 148 μg/mg d.w. Overall, these results demonstrate that the 11 different kinds of wild edible mushrooms gathered from the region represent substantial sources of fatty acids and amino acids that are essential in the diet of humans. Quality of the mushroom protein compares favorably with the FAO/WHO Standard. The present study demonstrates that macrofungi from the East Black Sea region (Turkey) are a good source of many nutrients essential to human well-being.

Development and Application of a Two-Tier Multiple-Choice Diagnostic Test for High School Students' Understanding of Cell Division and Reproduction.

This study involved the development and application of a two-tier diagnostic test for measuring students’ understanding of cell division and reproduction. The instrument development procedure had three general steps: defining the content boundaries of the test, collecting information on students’ misconceptions, and instrument development. Misconception data were collected from interviews and multiple-choice questions with open response. The data were used to develop fourteen two-tier multiple-choice items. The conceptual knowledge examined was preliminary functions of cell division, basic processes in cell division, mitotic cell cycle and asexual reproduction, the role of meiosis in sexual life cycles, as well as cell types and cell division. The diagnostic instrument was administered to 403 high-school students. The reliability coefficient of the test was 0.81. Difficulty indices ranged from 0.31 to 0.72, and discrimination indices ranged from 0.23 to 0.61. Results of the cell division and reproduction diagnostic test suggested that students did not acquire a satisfactory understanding of cell division and reproduction concepts. The obtained misconceptions and the reasons for them were discussed in the analysis of the items which could inform biology instruction and resource.

Phenolic components and antioxidant activity of three edible wild mushrooms from Trabzon, Turkey

0009-3130/12/4801-0137 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 1) Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080, Trabzon, Turkey; 2) Faculty of Pharmacy, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080, Trabzon, Turkey, fax: (90) (462) 325 31 96, e-mail: rezzanaoglu@mynet.com; 3) Department of Biology, Fatih Faculty of Education, Karadeniz Technical University, 61335, Trabzon, Turkey. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 123–126, January–February, 2012. Original article submitted November 4, 2010. Chemistry of Natural Compounds, Vol. 48, No. 1, March, 2012 [Russian original No. 1, January–February, 2012]

TWO NEW RECORDS OF CANTHARELLOID FUNGI FOR TURKEY

ABSTRACT Cantharellus lutescens and Gomphus clavatus are collected for the first time in Turkey. The members of Cantharelloid fungi recorded since the beginning of macrofungal studies in Turkey are given with the collection sites.