Adıgüzel, Ahmet | Sökmen, Münevver | Özkan, Hakan | Ağar, Güleray | Güllüce, Medine | Şahin, Fikrettin

Article | 2009 | Turkish Journal of Biology33 ( 1 ) , pp.65 - 71

Bu çalışma Türkiye’de Doğu Anadolu’da bulunan Erzurum yöresinde yetişen bazı Astragalus türlerinin topraküstü ve kök kısımlarının metanol ve hekzan ekstraktlarının antimikrobiyal ve antioksidan aktivitelerinin araştırılması için yapılmıştır. Astragalus türlerinin topraküstü kısımlarından elde edilen metanol ekstraktı 68,8-400,4 ?g/ml konsantrasyonları aralığında % 50 inhibisyon ile hafif düzeyde serbest radikal süpürücü etki göstermiştir. Astragalus türlerinin topraküstü kısımlarının hekzan/diklorometan ekstraktları serbest radikal süpürücü etki göstermemişlerdir. Nonpolar ekstraktların linoleik asit oksidasyonu inhibisyon özellikle . . .rinin polar metanolik ekstraktlarınkinden yüksek olduğu görülmektedir. Kök kısımlarının metanol ekstraktları hafif antioksidanlar iken, A. microcephalus Willd., A. macrocephalus Willd., A. erinaceus Fisch. & Mey. ex Fischer, A. psoraloides Lam. ve A. argyroides Becker ex Stapf. türlerinin non-polar ekstraktları DPPH testinde son derece aktif olarak görüldüler. IC50 değerleri sırası ile 35,2 ?g/ml, 21,0 ?g/ml, 22,0 ?g/ml, 20,3 ?g/ml ve 38,0 ?g/ml olarak tespit edildi. ?–karoten-linoleik asit sistemi içinde, çalışılan Astragalus türleri arasında en güçlü inhibisyon etkisini A. psoraloides Lam. türünden elde edilen ekstrakt gösterdi. Buna ek olarak, disk difüzyon yöntemi ile Astragalus türlerinin in vitro antibakteriyel, antikandidal ve antifungal aktiviteleri de çalışılmıştır. Sonuçlar ekstraktların hiçbirinin çalışılan mikroorganizmalar üzerinde antimikrobiyal etkisinin olmadığını göstermiştir. This study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the hexane and methanol extracts of the aboveground parts and roots of some Astragalus species grown in the vicinity of Erzurum, located in the eastern Anatolia, Turkey. The methanol extract, which was obtained from the aboveground parts of Astragalus species, exhibited mild free radical scavenging activity providing 50% inhibition at the concentrations between 68.8 and 400.4 μg/ml. The hexane/dichloromethane extracts of the aboveground parts of Astragalus species did not show any free radical scavenging activity. However, the linoleic acid oxidation inhibition ability of the non-polar extracts seems to be higher than that of the polar methanolic extracts. The methanol root extracts were mild antioxidants but the non-polar root extracts of A. microcephalus Willd., A. macrocephalus Willd., A. erinaceus Fisch. & Mey. ex Fischer, A. psoraloides Lam., and A. argyroides Becker ex Stapf. were extremely active in DPPH test. IC50 values were 35.2 μg/ml, 21.0 μg/ml, 22.0 μg/ml 20.3 μg/ml, and 38.0 μg/ml, respectively. In the case of β–carotene-linoleic acid system, the extract obtained from A. psoraloides Lam. exhibited strong inhibition among studied Astragalus species. Furthermore, the extracts, which were obtained from the tested Astragalus species, were evaluated for their possible in vitro antibacterial, anticandidal, and antifungal activities based on disk diffusion assay. The results suggested that none of the extracts has antimicrobial activity on the tested microorganisms Daha fazlası Daha az

Akaydın, Galip | Şimşek, Işıl | Arıtuluk, Zekiye Ceren | Yeşilada, Erdem

Article | 2013 | Turkish Journal of Biology37 ( 2 ) , pp.230 - 247

This survey was carried out by face-to-face oral interviews with 379 inhabitants who agreed to be interviewed in selected localities of the Mediterranean region: Hatay (İskenderun and Narlıca), İçel (Erdemli, Tarsus, and Silifke), and Isparta (Sav). The current study was conducted to document the ethnobotanical uses of plants. In the first step of the study, demographic profiles of the informants were evaluated. Subsequently, they were asked to state whether the plants were used for therapeutic or other purposes; then detailed information, i.e. local names, parts used, methods of preparation (decoction, infusion, poultice, oi . . .ntment, etc.) was recorded; and finally the plant materials were collected for authentication. All collected plant materials have been identified and deposited at the Herbarium of Faculty of Education of Hacettepe University (HEF). In the survey, uses of 88 plant taxa from 39 plant families were documented. Plant species from the families Rosaceae, Asteraceae, and Lamiaceae were reported to be the most frequently utilized. Among the 152 plant remedies documented, 38 remedies (25.0%) for gastrointestinal disorders, 30 remedies (19.7%) for respiratory ailments, and 18 remedies (11.8%) for urinary problems were the most frequently recorded Daha fazlası Daha az

Aslan, Galip Servet | Mısır, Dudu Gonca | Kocabaş, Fatih

Article | 2016 | Turkish Journal of Biology40 ( 2 ) , pp.276 - 289

Findings in the last decade suggest that there is a considerable amount of cardiomyocyte turnover in the human heart throughout life, albeit not sufficient for heart regeneration following myocardial infarctions. Only a few species are known to be remarkably efficient in cardiac regeneration. They restore lost cardiomyocytes via a process of cardiomyocyte dedifferentiation, which is followed by robust proliferation of cardiomyocytes and incorporation into the myocardium. Similarly, neonatal mice have been recently shown to regenerate their heart following myocardial injuries. Studies with a neonatal cardiac regeneration mouse model . . .suggest that the major source of new cardiomyocytes is likely to be of cardiomyocyte origin, with the possibility of involvement of cardiac stem cells. To this end, numerous studies have been conducted on the induction of cardiac regeneration to shed light on the underlying mechanisms. This review covers studies on the renewal of cardiomyocytes, the utilization of stem cells in myocardial therapies, and their future applications Daha fazlası Daha az

Karakurt, H. | Kotan, R. | Dadaşoglu, F. | Aslantaş, R. | Şahin, Fikrettin

Article | 2011 | Turkish Journal of Biology35 ( 3 ) , pp.283 - 291

This study was performed to determine effects of 4 plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (Bacillus subtilis OSU - 142, Bacillus megaterium M - 3, Burkholderia cepacia OSU - 7, and Pseudomonas putida BA - 8) alone and in combinations on fruit set of sour cherry trees (Prunus cerasus L., cv. Kütahya), and to investigate their resulting pomological and chemical characteristics as well as vegetative growth. All the tested bacterial strains alone or some of their combinations have a great potential to increase especially fruit set and plant vegetative growth, and indirectly affect fruit pomological and chemical characteristics. Therefore, . . . they may be considered as biofertilizer for fruit, vegetable, and ornamental plant production in sustainable and ecological agricultural systems. © TÜBITAK Daha fazlası Daha az

Gürbüz, I. | Yeşlada, E.

Article | 2008 | Turkish Journal of Biology32 ( 4 ) , pp.259 - 263

The aerial part of Equisetum telmateia Ehrh. is used against various conditions including stomachache and peptic ulcer in Turkish folk medicine. In order to prove the claimed anti-ulcerogenic potential of the plant, aqueous and methanol extracts were prepared from aerial parts of E. telmateia and investigated for their anti-ulcerogenic effect on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in rats. Pharmacological experiments clearly demonstrated that the oral administration of both methanol and aqueous extracts of Equisetum telmateia Ehrh. plant showed significant stomach protection (77.9% and 100% ulcer inhibition, respectively) against th . . .e applied model of ulcerogenesis (P < 0.001). Since both extracts were found significantly active, 80% ethanol was preferred for the extraction of the plant material and this crude methanolic extract was further fractionated by successive solvent extractions with chloroform and H2O saturated n-BuOH to obtain the chloroform and n-BuOH extracts as well as the remaining aqueous extract. The 80% ethanol extract and the solvent extracts were then submitted to pharmacological assay using the same in vivo experimental ulcer model. All the extracts statistically showed potent anti-ulcerogenic effect on this model (P < 0.001). However, the remaining aqueous extract was found prominent (98.2% ulcer inhibition). Consequently, folkloric utilization of E. telmateia on peptic ulcer has been confirmed in the present study by using ethanol-induced experimental ulcer model in rats. © TÜBİTAK Daha fazlası Daha az

Demirci, S. | Kaya, M.S. | Doğan, A. | Kalay, Ş. | Altin, N.Ö. | Yarat, A. | Şahin, Fikrettin

Article | 2015 | Turkish Journal of Biology39 ( 3 ) , pp.417 - 426

Secondary dental caries are one of the major reasons for restoration replacements. Incorporating antimicrobial properties into dental materials would limit the initiation and progression of dental caries. In the current study, dental composites having 1%, 5%, and 10% (w/w) sodium pentaborate pentahydrate were prepared and analyzed for their mechanical properties, degree of monomer conversion (DC) rate, antibacterial effects against Streptococcus mutans, and biocompatibility with human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). Incorporation of boron into the composites significantly decreased flexural strength and DC in a dose-dependent manne . . .r, but the value for 1% boron-containing composite still remained within acceptable levels. Compressive strength and diametral tensile strength were not found to be different from those of controls. Although no inhibition zone was detected in an agar-well diffusion assay for any materials tested, significant bacterial growth inhibition was obtained in a direct contact test for boron-containing composites. Immunocytochemical and lineage-specific gene expression analysis revealed that composites with boron content increased the osteogenic and odontogenic capacity of hDPSCs. Boron-containing dental composites showed promising results for future clinical applications, displaying nontoxic, osteogenic, and odontogenic-inducing characteristics with remarkable antibacterial activity against S. mutans, and are hence potentially able to prevent secondary caries. © TÜBİTAK Daha fazlası Daha az

Adigüzel, A. | Inan, K. | Şahin, Fikrettin | Arasoglu, T. | Güllüce, M. | Beldüz, A.O. | Bariş, O.

Article | 2011 | Turkish Journal of Biology35 ( 3 ) , pp.267 - 274

The present study was conducted to determine the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of thermophilic bacteria isolated from Pasinler hot spring, Erzurum, Turkey. Fatty acid profiles, BOX PCR fingerprints, and 16S rDNA sequence data were used for the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of thermophilic bacteria. Totally 9 different bacterial strains were selected based on morphological, physiological, and biochemical tests. These strains were characterized by molecular tests including fatty acid and BOX profiles, and 16S rDNA sequence. The data of fatty acid analysis showed the presence of 14 different fatty acids in the 9 . . . bacterial strains examined. Additionally, 5 of these fatty acids, 15:0 iso, 15:0 anteiso, 16:0 iso, 17:0 iso, and 17:0 anteiso fatty acids, were found in all isolates. Based on fatty acid profiles, it was determined that the bacterial strains were classified into 2 phenotypic groups, and these data were confirmed by BOX PCR genomic fingerprint profiles and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The first group, identified as Bacillus licheniformis, was represented by 4 strains, and the second group, identified as Aeribacillus pallidus, was represented by 5 strains. © TÜBİTAK Daha fazlası Daha az

Kocabaş, Fatih | Ergin, Enes Kemal

Article | 2016 | Turkish Journal of Biology40 ( 1 ) , pp.239 - 249

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a deadly tick-borne virus with high mortality rates. Current antivirals lack specificity, making them susceptible to off-target effects and cytotoxicity. There is an utmost need for the identification of active compounds for anti-CCHFV therapies. Inhibition of CCHFV ovarian tumor (OTU) protease by small molecules is an exciting potential antiviral therapy. In this study, computational approaches based on residue homology, the binding coordinates of ligands, and correlation analysis with in vitro data identified the pocket of Y89-W99 as the inhibition site of CCHFV OTU protease. In sil . . .ico screening of more than 600,000 compounds against this newly discovered pocket can identify potent inhibitors of CCHFV OTU protease. This novel set of compounds exhibits a common substructure and higher binding affinities. These findings distinguish the pocket of Y89-W99 as a pharmaceutical target for the optimization and identification of CCHFV OTU protease inhibitors that could serve as lead structures for discovering therapies against CCHFV Daha fazlası Daha az

Gürbüz, İlhan | Demirci, Betül | Franz, Gerhard | Başer, Kemal Hüsnü Can | Yeşilada, Erdem | Demirci, Fatih

Article | 2013 | Turkish Journal of Biology37 ( 1 ) , pp.114 - 121

Aerial parts of Daphne pontica were collected from Ilgaz-Çankırı, and D. oleoides subsp. oleoides was collected from 2 different localities (Ayrancı-Karaman and Ilgaz-Çankırı) in Turkey. The samples were subjected to hydrodistillation and microdistillation. The resulting volatile samples were analyzed both by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. The main components for D. pontica were identified as hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (8.6%), carvacrol (8.5%), dihydroedulane II (4.7%), (E)-geranyl acetone (4.6%), and thymol (4.5%), while nonacosane (42.5% and 27.2%), hexadecanoic . . . acid (24.4% and 20.0%), phytol (12.3%), and carvacrol (5.0%) were identified as the main components of D. oleoides subsp. oleoides obtained by hydrodistillation. Carvacrol (12.0%), thymol (7.7%), dihydroactinidiolide (7.2%), bicyclosesquiphellandrene (5.5%), and (Z)-3-hexenal (4.1%) were the major components in D. pontica, while carvacrol (27.2% and 25.4%), nonacosane (24.6%), (Z)-3-hexenal (18.5% and 2.5%), decane (7.4%), hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (7.4% and 2.2%), hexanal (6.6% and 1.5%), heptacosane (6.1%), nonanal (5.6% and 1.9%), thymol (5.1% and 2.3%), and phytol (5.0%) were identified in the D. oleoides subsp. oleoides isolated by microdistillation, respectively. In addition, the volatile components were evaluated for their ability to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals using a bioautographic thin layer chromatography (TLC) method, and the samples showed activity comparable with that of the tested standards, vitamins C and E Daha fazlası Daha az

Aydoğdu, Nurullah | Taşlı, Pakize Neslihan | Şişli, Hatice Burcu | Yalvaç, Mehmet Emir | Şahin, Fikrettin

Article | 2016 | Turkish Journal of Biology40 ( 2 ) , pp.430 - 442

Stem cell-based applications have become a popular and promising approach for therapy for a number of disorders including neurodegenerative diseases, degenerative muscle diseases, and osteoporosis, as well as trauma, inflammations, burns, and injuries. Human tooth germ stem cells are an adult stem cell source; they have mesenchymal stem cell properties and show high proliferative and differentiation capacity. Melatonin has been demonstrated to regulate differentiation of human and mouse mesenchymal stem cells into various cell lineages in addition to its other functions in the body. In the current study, the effects of melatonin on . . .osteogenic, neurogenic, adipogenic, chondrogenic, myogenic, and odontogenic differentiation of human tooth germ stem cells were investigated. The results showed that melatonin increases the viability of cells. It significantly augments osteogenic, neurogenic, chondrogenic, myogenic, and odontogenic differentiation of the cells, whereas it reduces adipogenic differentiation capability. These results suggest that melatonin has a great potential to increase differentiation capacity of human tooth germ stem cells and might be useful in regenerative therapy applications involving stem cell differentiations in addition to defining potential treatments for obesity because of its suppressor effects on adipogenesis Daha fazlası Daha az

Aydin, S. | Yalvaç, M.E. | Özcan, F. | Şahin, Fikrettin

Article | 2016 | Turkish Journal of Biology40 ( 4 ) , pp.747 - 754

Electroporation is a safe and efficient method to transfect human tooth germ stem cells (hTGSCs), which are mainly mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this study, pluronic F68 (PF68), a nonionic and low-foaming surfactant, was used for the first time to increase the transfection efficiency in electroporation of hTGSCs. Our results revealed that when PF68 was used in the preincubation, electroporation, and recovery medium, it dramatically increased transfection efficiency. Moreover, use of PF68 did not alter the differentiation capacity of hTGSCs, whereas cells electroporated without PF68 had significantly lower expression of Oct-4, pl . . .uripotency marker gene, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity upon osteogenic differentiation. We found that PF68 increases transfection efficiency in both electroporation and chemical transfection of cancer cells lines MCF-7 and HeLa. The study suggested that PF68 might be a safe and reliable chemical to use for increasing transfection efficiency during electroporation and chemical transfections. © TÜBİTAK Daha fazlası Daha az

Üstüner, Berna | Çimen, Hüseyin

Article | 2016 | Turkish Journal of Biology40 ( 4 ) , pp.906 - 914

Sirtuins are NAD-dependent deacetylases and ADP ribosyltransferases that are activated under stress conditions such as calorie restriction and starvation. Boron, which is mostly found in the form of boric acid (BA) or sodium borate (NaB), is known to bind NAD. In this study, the effect of NaB on hepatoma cell line HEP3B was investigated by analyzing the proteins harvested from NaB-treated and serum-starved HEP3B cells. The NaB treatment (15 &#956;g/mL) led to a decrease in the overall proteome acetylation and particularly in mitochondria, the synthesis rate of respiratory complexes, the amount of cellular reactive oxygen species . . ., and the proliferation rate of HEP3B cells. On the other hand, the cellular ratio of NAD/NADH and the deacetylase activity of mitochondrial sirtuin, SIRT3, were found to be elevated. The results of this study suggest a link between boron treatment and activation of SIRT3 by means of a NAD-NaB interaction, which reprograms cellular metabolism. This study is expected to pave the way for new findings uncovering the metabolic changes in HEP3B cells related to SIRT3 activity upon NaB treatment Daha fazlası Daha az