Murat Tosun

Antioxidant properties and total phenolic content of eight Salvia species from Turkey.

Methanolic extracts of eight Salvia species, namely S. aethiopis, S. candidissima, S. limbata, S. microstegia, S. nemorosa, S. pachystachys, S. verticillata, and S. virgata, sampled from Eastern Anatolia in Turkey, were screened for their possible antioxidant activities by two complementary test systems, namely DPPH free radical scavenging and beta-carotene/linoleic acid. Total phenolic content of the extracts of Salvia species were performed Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and gallic acid used as standard. A wide variation has been observed among species in terms of antioxidant activity and total phenolic content. In both DPPH and beta-carotene system, the most active plant was Salvia verticillata with a value of IC50=18.3 microg/ml and 75.8%, respectively. This species also has the highest total phenolic content (167.1 mgGAE/g DW). The total amount of phenolics was between 50.3 to 167.1 mgGAE/g DW among species. A positive linear correlation was observed between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the extracts. The results suggest that the extract of Salvia species, notably Salvia verticillata with the highest antioxidant activity, can be used as natural antioxidants in the food industry.

Detection of adulteration in honey samples added various sugar syrups with 13C/12C isotope ratio analysis method

Honey can be adulterated in various ways. One of the adulteration methods is the addition of different sugar syrups during or after honey production. Starch-based sugar syrups, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), glucose syrup (GS) and saccharose syrups (SS), which are produced from beet or canes, can be used for adulterating honey. In this study, adulterated honey samples were prepared with the addition of HFCS, GS and SS (beet sugar) at a ratio of 0%, 10%, 20%, 40% and 50% by weight. (13)C/(12)C analysis was conducted on these adulterated honey samples using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer in combination with an elemental analyser (EA-IRMS). As a result, adulteration using C(4) sugar syrups (HFCS and GS) could be detected to a certain extent while adulteration of honey using C(3) sugar syrups (beet sugar) could not be detected. Adulteration by using SS (beet sugar) still has a serious detection problem, especially in countries in which beet is used in manufacturing sugar. For this reason, practice and analysis methods are needed to meet this deficit and to detect the adulterations precisely in the studies that will be conducted.

Characterization of Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) Genotypes for Their Physicochemical Properties

The worldwide tendency for growing more small fruits, including raspberries, shows permanent increase because this group of fruits has a relatively higher content of bioactive nutrients. To study the health benefits of red raspberry fruits, 11 preselected wild-grown and 1 well-known cultivar, Heritage, were evaluated for some of their physicochemical properties such as fruit weight, total antioxidant capacity (measured by beta-carotene bleaching and FRAP assays), total phenolics, ascorbic acid, soluble solid content (SSC), and acidity. Fruit weight, SSC, and ascorbic acid contents were between 1.47 and 2.32 g, 10.87% and 13.60%, and 21 and 36 mg/100 g, respectively. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content varied among genotypes and the ERZ5 genotype had the highest antioxidant capacity as ascertained by both methods. This genotype also had the highest total phenolic (2031 microg GAE/g FW) content. There are linear relationships between antioxidant capacities and total phenols. The present study demonstrates the potential of certain wild genotypes, notably ERZ5, for improving the nutritional value through germplasm enhancement programs.

Physico-Chemical Diversity in Fruits of Wild-Growing Sweet Cherries (Prunus Avium L.)

ABSTRACT Six wild growing sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) genotypes with different fruit skin color were analyzed for their antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid contents, fruit weight, pH value, titratable acidity, total anthocyanins, total phenolic and total soluble solid contents. Antioxidant activity was relatively higher in blackish skin colored fruits than in light skin colored ones. Among the six genotypes, total antioxidant activity ranged from 51.13% to 75.33% while the total phenolic content was between 148 and 321 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100g FW. The two parameters had a positive correlation of r=0.76. The vitamin C was in general highest in blackish colored fruits (21–27 mg/100 ml). The total soluble solid content varied between 19.35% (in CSCS13, dark red fruits) and 23.98% (in CSCS11, blackish fruits). Acidity was in a range of 0.98% (in CSCS19, red fruits) and 1.53% (in CSCS7, blackish fruits).

Chemical composition of hydrodistilled essential oil of Artemisia incana (L.) Druce and antimicrobial activity against foodborne microorganisms.

The oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Artemisia incana (L.) Druce from Turkey was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Sixty‐three compounds were characterized, representing 97.2% of the total components detected, and camphor (19.0%), borneol (18.9%), 1,8‐cineole (14.5%), bornyl acetate (7.8%), camphene (4.9%), and α‐thujone (4.8%) were identified as predominant components. The essential oil was also tested for its antimicrobial activity against 44 different foodborne microorganisms, including 26 bacteria, 15 fungi, and 3 yeast species. The essential oil of A. incana exhibited considerable inhibitory effects against all bacteria, fungi, and yeast species tested. However, the oil showed lower inhibitory activity against the tested bacteria than the reference antibiotics.

Physico-chemical characteristics of some wild grown European elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) genotypes.

Wild grown European elderberry ( Sambucus nigra ) plants are widespread in different parts of Turkey and have been used in folk medicine so a long time. Some selected physico-chemical characteristics such as berry weight, protein, pH, total acidity, soluble solid, reducing sugar, vitamin C, total antioxidant capacity (FRAP assay), total phenolic and total anthocyanins of four pre-selected wild grown European elderberry fruits were investigated. Significant differences on most of the chemical content were detected among the genotypes used. The genotype AR2 had the highest protein content (2.91%), while AR4 had the lowest protein content (2.68%). The genotypes with the highest total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic and total anthocyanin content were AR2 (6.37 mmol/100 g fw; 432 mg GAE/100 g fw and 283 mg cyaniding-3-glucoside/100 g fw). The results showed that European elderberry very rich in terms of health components

Detection of adulteration in mulberry pekmez samples added various sugar syrups with 13C/12C isotope ratio analysis method

Mulberry pekmez can be adulterated in different ways either during the production process or after production is completed. To identify these adulterations, stable carbon isotope ratio analysis (SCIRA) was performed on the model examples prepared by adding saccharose syrup (SS), glucose syrup (GS) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) into two different pure mulberry pekmez samples in the ratios of 0%, 10%, 30% and 50%. The δ(13)C ratio of the pure mulberry pekmez was determined as -26.60‰ on average, the saccharose syrup as -24.80‰, the glucose syrup as -11.20‰ and the high-fructose corn syrup as -11.40‰. In identifying the adulteration made to pekmez, especially with the high-fructose corn syrup, which is obtained from corn starch, and with the glucose syrup, the δ(13)C ratio comes into prominence. However it remains impossible identify the adulterations made with the saccharose, which is obtained from beet sugar, or invert sugar syrups.

Characteristics of Mulberry Pekmez with Cornelian Cherry

This study was conducted to determine some properties of mulberry pekmez containing 0% (control group-without Cornelian cherry), 10% and 20% Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) fruit. Significant differences were determined between the samples in terms of water, soluble dry matter, sucrose, total sugar, pH, titratable acidity, electrical conductivity, and viscosity (p < 0.05). Sensory analysis indicated that Cornelian cherry added-pekmez has higher scores than control group. In addition, the panellists favoured the pekmez with 20% of Cornelian cherry added. The addition of Cornelian cherry produced a new type of pekmez, which retains acceptable quality, that Cornelian cherry may enhance invert sugar, some minerals including Ca, K, Fe, and Zn and sensory quality. Element analyses were performed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry; K, Ca, and Fe concentrations of the mulberry pekmez were increased by increasing levels of Cornelian cherry.