Sugars,organic acids,and phenolic compounds of ancient grape cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.) from Igdir province of Eastern Turkey

Background

The Eurasian grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is the most widely cultivated and economically important horticultural crop in the world. As a one of the origin area, Anatolia played an important role in the diversification and spread of the cultivated form V. vinifera ssp. vinifera cultivars and also the wild form V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris ecotypes. Although several biodiversity studies have been conducted with local cultivars in different regions of Anatolia, no information has been reported so far on the biochemical (organic acids, sugars, phenolic acids, vitamin C) and antioxidant diversity of local historical table V. vinifera cultivars grown in Igdir province. In this work, we studied these traits in nine local table grape cultivars viz. ‘Beyaz Kismis’ (synonym name of Sultanina or Thompson seedless), ‘Askeri’, ‘El Hakki’, ‘Kirmizi Kismis’, ‘Inek Emcegi’, ‘Hacabas’, ‘Kerim Gandi’, ‘Yazen Dayi’, and ‘Miskali’ spread in the Igdir province of Eastern part of Turkey.

Results

Variability of all studied parameters is strongly influenced by cultivars (P < 0.01). Among the cultivars investigated, ‘Miskali’ showed the highest citric acid content (0.959 g/l) while ‘Kirmizi Kismis’ produced predominant contents in tartaric acid (12.71 g/l). The highest glucose (16.47 g/100 g) and fructose (15.55 g/100 g) contents were provided with ‘Beyaz Kismis’. ‘Kirmizi Kismis’ cultivar had also the highest quercetin (0.55 mg/l), o-coumaric acid (1.90 mg/l), and caffeic acid (2.73 mg/l) content. The highest ferulic acid (0.94 mg/l), and syringic acid (2.00 mg/l) contents were observed with ‘Beyaz Kismis’ cultivar. The highest antioxidant capacity was obtained as 9.09 μmol TE g^-1 from ‘Inek Emcegi’ in TEAC (Trolox equivalent Antioxidant Capacity) assay. ‘Hacabas’ cultivar had the highest vitamin C content of 35.74 mg/100 g.

Conclusions

Present results illustrated that the historical table grape cultivars grown in Igdir province of Eastern part of Turkey contained diverse and valuable sugars, organic acids, phenolic acids, Vitamin C values and demonstrated important antioxidant capacity for human health benefits. Further preservation and use of this gene pool will be helpful to avoid genetic erosion and to promote continued agriculture in the region.     

Modeling some mineral nutrient requirements for micropropagated wild apricot shoot cultures

A response surface methodology (RSM) experimental design was applied for improving micropropagation of a wild apricot, Prunus armeniaca Lam., from the mountains of Kazakhstan. In an initial study, woody plant medium (WPM) mineral nutrients [calcium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, mesos (calcium chloride, potassium phosphate and magnesium sulfate) potassium sulfate and minor nutrients] were tested in a response surface methodology (RSM) experiment. Shoot quality was the best when nitrogen and mesos (CaCl₂, MgSO₄, K₂SO₄, KH₂PO₄) compounds were altered. In this study an expanded mesos optimization experiment was run. Data taken included a subjective quality rating, shoot length, shoot number, leaf color and size, callus and physiological disorders. Data were analyzed by Classification and Regression Tree Analysis (CART), a data mining technique that provides specific cutoff values for data and easy to interpret data trees. The CART analysis indicated that the best quality would be with ≤2.4× WPM levels of KH₂PO₄ and ≤0.75× MgSO₄. Shoot length was affected by K₂SO₄, but most shoots were of good size at any concentration. Shoot multiplication was affected by KH₂PO₄, but there were >5 shoots at any concentration. Leaf color was best with ≤2.41× KH₂PO₄ and ≤1.22× K₂SO₄. Based on the CART analysis, a recommendation for improved mesos compounds was developed. Each of the individual trees was analyzed and the cutoff points determined so that all the growth characteristics could be considered in the final concentrations chosen. Using the combined results from the CART analysis, the suggested medium would include WPM with CaCl₂ 2.7×, MgSO₄ 2.7×, K₂SO₄ 0.8×, KH₂PO₄ 0.75×.     

Maternal-fetal proinflammatory cytokine gene polymorphism and preterm birth

Association between maternal-fetal proinflammatory cytokine genotype and preterm birth was studied. Isolated genomic DNA from maternal and cord blood samples of 100 preterm and 101 term labors were used for TNFα (-238G/A, -308G/A), IL-1α (4845G/T), and IL-1β (-511C/T) genotyping. TNFα -238 GA genotype in term neonates was significantly higher than the premature neonates (p<0.05). Maternal-fetal TNFα -238 heterozygosity was associated with term labor (p<0.05). TNFα -308 GA and AA genotypes were associated with term labor (mothers and neonates, respectively; p<0.05 and p<0.001). The incidence of term labor was significantly increased in TNFα -308 GA genotype. If a -308GA carrier has a fetus with GG genotype, the incidence of preterm labor increases (p<0.01). The 4845 T allele was significantly higher in preterm mothers and neonates (p<0.001 and p<0.001). The effect of maternal-fetal genotype for the pregnancy outcome reveals that maternal 4845GG and GT genotypes increase term labor incidence, whereas fetal 4845 TT genotype was a significant independent risk factor for preterm birth (p<0.01). IL-1β -511 TT genotype was significantly higher in preterm neonates. The preterm labor risk was significantly increased in maternal -511 TT genotype and fetal CT genotypes, whereas with maternal -511 CT or TT genotypes or a -511 TT fetus, the incidence of term pregnancy increases (p<0.01).     

Antagonistic Effect of Fusarium oxysporum on Heterodera cruciferae

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. (isolate no. B6) on Heterodera cruciferae Franklin and its pathogenicity on cabbage plants. Fusarium oxysporum (B6) was isolated from cysts extracted from cabbage (Brassica olareacae L.) fields in Samsun (north part of Turkey). Healthy cysts obtained from mass culture in a growing chamber were placed on fungal colonies already formed in Petri dishes. The highest infection rate was observed 10 days after inoculation and reached 72%. Fusarium oxysporum also had the ability to penetrate through cysts wall. The effects of spore suspensions of Fusarium on H. cruciferae in cabbage plants were tested in pot experiments in growth chambers. Cabbages cyst nematode (CCN) eggs were first incubated in a fungal spore suspension (10⁸–10⁹ spores/ml) for 5 min and then introduced into pots containing sterilized soil and 3‐weeks‐old healthy cabbage plants. A positive effect was observed on plant height, fresh weight, fresh root weight, length and leaf area. Nematode numbers in the root system decreased within 2 months after artificial inoculations with Fusarium‐infected cysts. This suggests a negative, antagonistic effect between F. oxysporum and H. cruciferae.     

Use of RSM and CHAID data mining algorithm for predicting mineral nutrition of hazelnut

Defining optimal mineral-salt concentrations for in vitro plant development is challenging, due to the many chemical interactions in growth media and genotype variability among plants. Statistical approaches that are easier to interpret are needed to make optimization processes practical. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and the Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) data mining algorithm were used to analyze the growth of shoots in a hazelnut tissue-culture medium optimization experiment. Driver and Kuniyuki Walnut medium (DKW) salts (NH₄NO₃, Ca(NO₃)₂·4H₂O, CaCl₂·2H₂O, MgSO₄·7H₂O, KH₂PO₄ and K₂SO₄) were varied from 0.5× to 3× DKW concentrations with 42 combinations in a IV-optimal design. Shoot quality, shoot length, multiplication and callus formation were evaluated and analyzed using the two methods. Both analyses indicated that NH₄NO₃ was a predominant nutrient factor. RSM projected that low NH₄NO₃ and high KH₂PO₄ concentrations were significant for quality, shoot length, multiplication and callus formation in some of the hazelnut genotypes. CHAID analysis indicated that NH₄NO₃ at ≤1.701× DKW and KH₂PO₄ at >2.012× DKW were the most critical factors for shoot quality. NH₄NO₃ at ≤0.5× DKW and Ca(NO₃)₂ at ≤1.725× DKW were essential for good multiplication. RSM results were genotype dependent while CHAID included genotype as a factor in the analysis, allowing development of a common medium rather than several genotype specific media. Overall, CHAID results were more specific and easier to interpret than RSM graphs. The optimal growth medium for Corylus avellana L. cultivars should include: 0.5× NH₄NO₃, 3× KH₂PO₄, 1.5× Ca(NO₃)₂.     

Using USP I and USP IV for Discriminating Dissolution Rates of Nano- and Microparticle-Loaded Pharmaceutical Strip-Films

Recent interest in the development of drug particle-laden strip-films suggests the need for establishing standard regulatory tests for their dissolution. In this work, we consider the dissolution testing of griseofulvin (GF) particles, a poorly water-soluble compound, incorporated into a strip-film dosage form. The basket apparatus (USP I) and the flow-through cell dissolution apparatus (USP IV) were employed using 0.54% sodium dodecyl sulfate as the dissolution medium as per USP standard. Different rotational speeds and dissolution volumes were tested for the basket method while different cell patterns/strip-film position and dissolution media flow rate were tested using the flow-through cell dissolution method. The USP I was not able to discriminate dissolution of GF particles with respect to particle size. On the other hand, in the USP IV, GF nanoparticles incorporated in strip-films exhibited enhancement in dissolution rates and dissolution extent compared with GF microparticles incorporated in strip-films. Within the range of patterns and flow rates used, the optimal discrimination behavior was obtained when the strip-film was layered between glass beads and a flow rate of 16 ml/min was used. These results demonstrate the superior discriminatory power of the USP IV and suggest that it could be employed as a testing device in the development of strip-films containing drug nanoparticles.Key Words: BCS class II, dissolution, drug nanoparticles, flow-through cell, pharmaceutical strip-films     

An Intensified Vibratory Milling Process for Enhancing the Breakage Kinetics during the Preparation of Drug Nanosuspensions

As a drug-sparing approach in early development, vibratory milling has been used for the preparation of nanosuspensions of poorly water-soluble drugs. The aim of this study was to intensify this process through a systematic increase in vibration intensity and bead loading with the optimal bead size for faster production. Griseofulvin, a poorly water-soluble drug, was wet-milled using yttrium-stabilized zirconia beads with sizes ranging from 50 to 1500 μm at low power density (0.87 W/g). Then, this process was intensified with the optimal bead size by sequentially increasing vibration intensity and bead loading. Additional experiments with several bead sizes were performed at high power density (16 W/g), and the results were compared to those from wet stirred media milling. Laser diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and dissolution tests were used for characterization. Results for the low power density indicated 800 μm as the optimal bead size which led to a median size of 545 nm with more than 10% of the drug particles greater than 1.8 μm albeit the fastest breakage. An increase in either vibration intensity or bead loading resulted in faster breakage. The most intensified process led to 90% of the particles being smaller than 300 nm. At the high power intensity, 400 μm beads were optimal, which enhanced griseofulvin dissolution significantly and signified the importance of bead size in view of the power density. Only the optimally intensified vibratory milling led to a comparable nanosuspension to that prepared by the stirred media milling.