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Turkey has a very old history of viticulture and also homeland of the grapevine (Vitisspp.). Vitiscultivars belonging to different species are grown in almost every region in the country. However, particularly downy mildew and powdery mildew diseases affect the cultivars belonging to Vitis vinifera. In northern of Turkey Vitis labruscaand hybrids between V.viniferaand V.labruscaare rather common. V.labruscacultivars or genotypes exhibit generally higher degree of resistance than V. viniferacultivars. However, resistance level can vary from cultivar to cultivar and even from clone to clone within one cultivar. In this study, different Vitishybrids and genotypes which exhibit different downy and powdery mildew susceptibility are compared for two years. Especially some V.labruscahybrids and genotypes appeared resistance for both diseases. On the other hand, interspecific crosses and V.viniferacultivars were found to be more susceptible. Using resistant lines as parent in later breeding activities, it could be possible grow high quality table cultivars with much fewer pesticide applications or possibly without them.

Greenhouse and field evaluations of onion for resistance to Fusarium basal rot caused byFusarium oxysporumf.sp.cepaewere conducted on cultivars ‘Akgün 12’ and ‘Rossa Savonese’ previously described as resistant at the seedling stage. In the greenhouse experiments inoculations were carried out on seeds or soil; in the field experiments evaluation was performed on onion sets from plants grown in naturally infested soils. Akgün 12 and to a lesser extent Rossa Savonese were resistant to the disease at the bulb stage in all experiments. Results were also consistent with those obtained from a previous screening at the seedling stage. Onion sets were also extracted and fractionated by thin layer chromatography to determine their content of antifungal compounds. Extracts were characterized by the expression of distinct antifungal components, which may be involved in resistance to the pathogen.

In the present study, antileukemic enzyme L-asparaginase (ASNase) was encapsulated into poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanocapsules in order to decrease the immunogenicity and toxicity of the enzyme and to increase its in vivo half life in mice. Nanocapsules were prepared by water-in-oil-in-water approach and each phase was changed systematically. By changing the pH of the w2phase to the isolelectric point of L-ASNase, the encapsulation efficiency was increased from 23.7% to 28.0%. Also, modification of ASNase with PEG2increased the encapsulation efficiency from 23.7% to 27.9% and protected the enzyme against denaturation. Combination of the various optima enabled a substantial increase in the activity (0.074–0.429 U/mg nanocapsule). The enzyme activity in the blood due to unmodified PHBV nanocapsules dropped to 38% of its initial value 4 h after injection. When the same sample was tested for the enzyme content in the circulation by using the radio-labeled enzyme a much lower enzyme (30% of initial) could be detected after a shorter time (3 h). The PHBV nanocapsules with heparin conjugated on their surface had a longer presence in the circulation than unmodified PHBV nanocapsules. After 6 h, around 50% of the enzyme was still present in the blood. Radioactivity measurements using the same sample showed a sharp decrease in enzyme amount in the circulation in the early stages. However, radioactivity was still detectable at the eighth hour. No adverse effects and symptoms of anaphylaxis were observed upon injection of encapsulated ASNase-PHBV nanocapsules to mice i.v. through the tail vein.

The effect of soil amended with stalks of sunflower (Helianthus annuusL.), alfalfa (Medicago sativaL.) and Hungarian vetch (Vicia pannonicaCrantz) on onion bulb rot caused byFusarium oxysporumSchlecht. f.sp.cepae(Hanz.) Snyder Hansen andAspergillus nigerv. Tieghem was tested in a soil naturally infested with the pathogens under field conditions. All treatments significantly reduced bulb rot incidence. The fungal and antibacterial populations varied among all of the amended tested soils. Heterotrophic fungal populations were more effective than heterotrophic bacterial populations in the suppression of disease. The highest population of fungal microflora was found in plots amended with sunflower stalks. The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and available moisture content of amended soils have an indirect suppressive role on disease, by increasing the heterotrophic fungal population.

Verapamil SR (180 mg) plus Trandolapril (2 mg) is a potent antihypertensive combination but the efficacy and safety of this treatment has not been studied fully in hypertensive patients with metabolic disorders. We enrolled 298 patients with mild to moderate hypertension who had at least one of the following disorders: diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolaemia or mild renal failure. The sitting systolic pressure and diastolic blood pressures were significantly decreased after 12 weeks of treatment. Blood pressure was inadequately controlled in only 24 patients (8.8%). Progressive decreases in blood glucose, total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels were observed during the study. There was no significant change in blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and transaminase levels (p>0.05). There was a significant decrease in microalbuminuria levels. There was no significant change in glycosylated haemoglobin levels in diabetic patients. Verapamil SR plus trandolapril is an effective drug combination in the treatment of hypertension. It may be used safely in patients with diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia and mild renal failure.

Objective To determine the effects of the thermolabile methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation on the presence and extent of coronary atherosclerosis in a population with low plasma folate. Methods 242 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography were prospectively evaluated for conventional risk factors, plasma homocysteine, vitamin B-12, and folate, and MTHFR genotype. The severity of coronary atherosclerosis was determined by the Leaman score. Results Mean (SD) plasma homocysteine was 15.6 (10) μmol/l in controls and 18.5 (11) μmol/l in patients with coronary artery disease (p > 0.05). Plasma homocysteine concentrations above 15 μmol/l were a risk factor for coronary artery disease (p = 0.03, risk ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 4.4). Homocysteine remained an independent risk factor on multivariate analysis when conventional risk factors were taken into account (p = 0.04). Homocysteine concentrations above 15 μmol/l were correlated with the extent of atherosclerosis (p = 0.04, risk ratio 3.2, 95% CI 1.3 to 8.2). Homocysteine had no effect on other lipid variables (p > 0.05). Plasma folate was 15.8 (7.2) nmol/l in controls and 11.5 (2.9) nmol/l in patients with coronary artery disease. Plasma folate concentrations below 12.9 nmol/l (5.7 ng/ml) conferred a risk for coronary artery disease (p = 0.03, risk ratio 2.42, 95% CI 1.05 to 5.59). When the MTHFR genotype was determined, the TT genotype was present in 7.4% of patients and 5.2% of controls (p > 0.05). The prevalence of alleles was within the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (TT 7, CT 40, CC 53, χ² = 2.3, p = 0.3). The highest homocysteine concentrations were found in patients with the TT genotype and folate below the median of the population (p = 0.01). The extent of coronary atherosclerosis judged by the Leaman score was significantly higher in patients with the TT genotype (p = 0.03). Conclusions Plasma homocysteine over 15 μmol/l was a significant risk factor for the presence and extent of coronary artery disease. The mean plasma folate of the population was low and correlated negatively with homocysteine. Although TT genotype was not an independent predictor of coronary artery disease, it was an important predictor of the extent of coronary atherosclerosis and plasma homocysteine, especially in the presence of plasma folate values below the median of the population. These findings may have important implications for folate replacement in patients with the TT genotype.

Samples of onion (Allium cepaL.) seeds were obtained from seven regions in Turkey. The seed coat, embryo and endosperm were cultured, the seedborne fungi were determined and their transmission to onion sets was investigated in both sterile and field soils. Among the fungi determined,Aspergillus alutaceusBerk, and Curt.,Beauveria bassiana(Bals.) Vuill.,Cladosporium cladosporioides(Fres.) de Vries,Geotrichumsp.,Humicola fuscoatraTraaen,Trichoderma harzianumRifai andT. pseudokoningiiRifai in onion seeds, andFusarium culmorum(W.G.Sm.) Sacc,F. graminearumSchwabe andF. sambucinumFuckel in onion sets, were recorded for the first time.Aspergillus nigerv. Tieghem was found at the highest rate in seed samples (especially in the seed coat), and in bulbs and roots of onion sets that developed from these seeds, whether in sterile or field soil.Fusarium oxysporumSchlecht was isolated at a higher rate from onion sets grown in sterile or field soil, than from seeds.F. acuminatumEllis and Everhart,F. sambucinum, F. equiseti(Corda) Sacc. andF. graminearumwere isolated only from onion sets grown in sterile soil. In dual culture tests, theseFusariumisolates were inhibited byA. nigerand thus, exceptfor F. oxysporum, could not develop in agar plate. TheFusariumspp. appeared in onion-sets grown in sterile soil and were inhibited by other fungi in field soil. It was concluded that all fungi were seedborne and thatA. nigerandFusariumspp., but not the other fungi, were transmitted from the seeds to onion sets.A. nigerandF. oxysporumwere also transmitted through the soil.