Muttalip Gundogdu

Cadmium toxicity affects chlorophyll a and b content, antioxidant enzyme activities and mineral nutrient accumulation in strawberry

BackgroundCadmium (Cd) is well known as one of the most toxic metals affecting the environment and can severely restrict plant growth and development. In this study, Cd toxicities were studied in strawberry cv. Camarosa using pot experiment. Chlorophyll and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities and mineral nutrient concentrations were investigated in both roots and leaves of strawberry plant after exposure Cd.ResultsCd content in both roots and leaves was increased with the application of increasing concentrations of Cd. We found higher Cd concentration in roots rather than in leaves. Chlorophyll a and b was decreased in leaves but MDA significantly increased under increased Cd concentration treatments in both roots and leaves. SOD and CAT activities was also increased with the increase Cd concentrations. K, Mn and Mg concentrations were found higher in leaves than roots under Cd stress. In general, increased Cd treatments increased K, Mg, Fe, Ca, Cu and Zn concentration in both roots and leaves. Excessive Cd treatments reduced chlorophyll contents, increased antioxidant enzyme activities and changes in plant nutrition concentrations in both roots and leaves.ConclusionThe results presented in this work suggested that Cd treatments have negative effect on chlorophyll content and nearly decreased 30% of plant growth in strawberry. Strawberry roots accumulated higher Cd than leaves. We found that MDA and antioxidant enzyme (CAT, SOD and APX) contents may have considered a good indicator in determining Cd tolerance in strawberry plant.

Organic acids, sugars, phenolic compounds, and some horticultural characteristics of black and white mulberry accessions from Eastern Anatolia

Mulberries, Morus spp., grow in different growing regions of Turkey with a high diversity providing an opportunity to select superior accessions. The goal of the study was to determine the differences in phytochemical components and horticultural characteristics between white and black mulberry accessions in the Igdir province. Fruits of black and white mulberries collected from Igdir province were assayed for various horticultural characteristics including berry width, berry length, berry weight, and berry peduncle length. Samples were also assayed for vitamin C, organic acids (citric, tartaric, malic, succinic, and fumaric), sugars (glucose and fructose), phenolic acids (catechin, rutin, quercetin, chlorogenic, ferulic, o-coumaric, p-coumaric, caffeic, syringic, vanillic, and gallic acids), and antioxidant capacity [Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay]. Differences (P < 0.05) were noted between accessions in berry length and berry weight. Malic acid was found to be the predominant organic acid regardless of species. Rutin (for black mulberry) and chlorogenic acid (for white mulberry) were the predominant phenolic acids. Black mulberry had higher glucose and fructose content than white mulberry. Analysis showed that black mulberry had higher content of tartaric acid, malic acid, TEAC, fructose, glucose, catechin, rutin, quercetin, o-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid compared with white mulberry (P < 0.01); however, white mulberry had higher content of succinic acid, vitamin C, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, syringic acid, and gallic acid (P < 0.01). Our results provide a reference for further studies of mulberry fruits in detection of organic acids, sugars, antioxidant capacity, and phenolic compounds. Also, it is clear that we need standardized testing, extraction, and analysis protocols to compare genotypes grown in different countries.

Fatty acids, tocopherols, selenium and total carotene of pistachios (P. vera L.) from Diyarbakır (Southestern Turkey) and walnuts (J. regia L.) from Erzincan (Eastern Turkey)

In this study, 14 well-adapted genotypes of pistachio (Pistachio vera L.) grown in Diyarbakır (Southeastern Turkey) and 15 walnut (Juglans regia L.) genotypes grown in Erzincan (Eastern Turkey) have been studied. Pistachio genotypes contained 8.16–9.33% palmitic acid, 0.54–0.68% palmitoleic acid, 2.35–4.21% stearic acid, 67.81–76.82% oleic acid, 9.42–18:32% linoleic acid, 0.27–0.38% linolenic acid and 0.19–0.33 % arachidic acid. The range of selenium, α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, α-tocotrienoid, γ-tocotrienoid and total carotenoid of these promising genotypes were found to be between 11.44 and 190.71 ng/g, 1.36 and 26.93, 36.17 and 170, 0.45 and 2.61, 0.96 and 3.76, 2.33 and 37.72 and 1.01 and 4.93 mg/kg, respectively. Linoleic acid ranging from 43.19% to 53.16% was the most abundant fatty acid in 15 pomologically selected walnut genotypes, followed by oleic and linolenic acids (31.91% and 11.46%, respectively). Their selenium contents ranged between 7.25 and 57.67 ng/g. γ-Tocopherol was the predominant tocopherol in walnut genotypes. Pistachio and walnut genotypes with higher unsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols and selenium contents may be valuable for nutritional breeding efforts.

Phenolic compounds, bioactive content and antioxidant capacity of the fruits of mulberry (Morus spp.) germplasm in Turkey

Abstract The study was carried out in 2014 and 2015, and aimed to determine some important biochemical and antioxidant characteristics of the fruits of mulberry (Morus spp.) cultivars and genotypes found in Malatya (Turkey). Phenolic compounds (protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, ellagic acid, rutin, quercetin, gallic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, o-coumaric acid, phloridzin and ferulic acid), organic acids, sugars, vitamin C and antioxidant capacity were analyzed in sampled fruits. The results showed that most of the biochemical content and antioxidant capacities of the cultivars and genotypes were significantly different from one another (p < 0.05). Among the phenolic compounds, rutin (118.23 mg 100 g-1), gallic acid (36.85 mg 100 g-1), and chlorogenic acid (92.07 mg 100 g-1) were determined to have the highest values for most of the fruit samples. Malic acid and citric acid were dominant among the organic acids for all the cultivars and genotypes except 44-Nrk-05. Glucose was measured as a more abundant sugar than fructose and sucrose in all samples. Antioxidant capacity, on the other hand, varied between 6.17 and 21.13 μmol TE g-1 among the cultivars and genotypes analyzed.

Fruits of Rosaceae Family as a Source of Anticancer Compounds and Molecular Innovations

Fruits of the family, Rosaceae (Apple, cherry, Peach, strawberry, rose, raspberry) are rich source of phenolic and antioxidant compounds having anticancer properties. The present chapter discusses the detail information about anticancer compounds of strawberry, raspberry, peach, apple, cherry and rose and also the genes responsible for the biosynthesis, accumulation and transport of anticancer compounds during growth and maturation of fruits. The transcriptome expression was performed to find putative genes responsible for anticancer compounds during the biosynthesis and transporter genes. It is revealed form the promoter analysis that cis-acting element is responsible for the regulation of anticancer compounds. Thus, CRISPR/Cas9 enhanced the biosynthesis of anticancer compounds during fruit development and maturation stages. CRISPR/Cas9 will be used for the silencing of genes which putatively inhibit the formation of anti-cancer compounds and also up-regulate biosynthesis and transporter genes mediated by CRISPR/Cas9to enhance their accumulation in these fruits.

Diversity in phenolic compounds, biochemical and pomological characteristics of Arbutus unedo fruits

Abstract Strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo L.) are naturally grown in particular Black Sea and Mediterranean regions of Turkey with great diversity due to continuous seed propagation for centuries. The trees differ in terms of most of the horticultural characteristics. We investigated the phenolic compounds and the biochemical and pomological characteristics of the fruits of eight strawberry tree selections naturally grown in the western part of Turkey. Significant differences were found among the genotypes in terms of their phenolic compounds and their biochemical and pomological characteristics. Among soluble sugars, fructose (11.63 g 100 g−1) was the dominant sugar, followed by glucose (6.10 g 100 g−1) and sucrose (1.44 g 100 g−1) for all the genotypes. Positive correlation was found between fruit weight and soluble sugar content. Malic acid was the major organic acid (0.67-2.33 g 100 g−1), and the second major organic acid in strawberry tree fruits was citric acid (0.25-0.87 g 100 g−1). Vitamin C content was an average of 56.22 g 100 g−1 for the eight genotypes. Among phenolic compounds, gallic acid was dominant (1.62-7.29 mg 100 g−1), followed by chlorogenic acid (1.23-3.14 mg 100 g−1), on an average basis.

Evaluation of European Cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus L.) genotypes for agro-morphological, biochemical and bioactive characteristics in Turkey

Abstract The study evaluated some agro-morphological (fruit weight, fruit flesh ratio, fruit skin colour, number of fruits per raceme, number of racemes per bush), biochemical (vitamin C, soluble solids content, organic acids), and bioactive (total phenolics, total anthocyanins, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity) characteristics of the fruit of a number of selected European Cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus L.) genotypes grown in the Sivas province of Turkey. To evaluate the antioxidant capacity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were performed. The results showed genotype-specific differences in most of the agro-morphological, biochemical and bioactive characteristics. The range of fruit weight, number of fruits per raceme, and number of racemes per bush was between 0.67 and 0.82 g, 40.7 and 57.1, and 470 and 581, respectively. The highest vitamin C and soluble solids contents were found in the fruits of genotypes SIV-9 and SIV-6 as 39 mg per 100 g and 12.6%, respectively. Tartaric acid was the main organic acid in all the genotypes; it ranged from 120 to 144 mg per 100 g of fruit FW. Total phenolic, total anthocyanin and total flavonoid contents ranged from 621 to 987 mg gallic acid equivalents per 100 g, 15 to 51 mg cyanidin-3-rutinoside equivalents per 100 g, and 202 to 318 mg rutin equivalents per 100 g, respectively. Genotype SIV-10 had the highest antioxidant capacity (34.90 μmol Trolox per g, based on FRAP assays). The present study shows the potential of the evaluated European Cranberrybush genotypes for improving the nutritional value through germplasm enhancement programmes.