Antimicrobial Activity of Six Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Varieties and Their Relation to Some of Their Pomological and Phytonutrient Characteristics

Arils from six pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) varieties grown in the Mediterranean region of Turkey were tested for their antimicrobial properties by the agar diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods against seven bacteria: (Bacillus megaterium DSM 32, Pseudomonas aeruginosa DSM 9027, Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1, Corynebacterium xerosis UC 9165, Escherichia coli DM, Enterococcus faecalis A10, Micrococcus luteus LA 2971), and threefungi (Kluvyeromyces marxianus A230, Rhodotorula rubra MC12, Candida albicans ATCC 1023). It has been observed that the pomegranate aril extracts had antimicrobial effect on all microorganisms, giving inhibition zones ranging in size from 13 to 26 mm. The MIC values for active pomegranate extracts ranged between 30 and >90 µg/mL. The results obtained appeared to confirm the antimicrobial potential of the Punica granatum varieties

Leaf mineral composition of grafted eggplant grown in soil infested with Verticillium and root-knot nematodes

WOS: 000282876200014The objective of this work was to determine differences in leaf mineral composition between ungrafted and grafted onto (Solanum torvum) eggplant (Solanum melongena), cultivars 'Faselis' and 'Pala', grown in a soil infested with Verticillium dahliae and Meloidogyne incognita, or in a noninfested soil. Grafting increased leaf P and Mn concentrations, and decreased N concentrations, in both soils. Grafting also enhanced leaf Ca concentration of 'Pala', but it did not affect that of 'Faselis' depending on the cropping year. Leaf Mg concentration of grafted plants in infested soil was lower than that of ungrafted ones in noninfested soil. Results showed that, under the same fertilization program, the grafted 'Faselis' plants used the nutrients more efficiently than the 'Pala' ones. Use of S. torvum as a rootstock for 'Faselis' resulted in an effective protection against multiple pathogen infestation. Fertilization may be necessary when grafted 'Faselis' plants are grown in a soil infested with the pathogens, since grafting and infestation generally decrease leaf N, Mg, Ca and Fe concentrations, either by reducing the nutrient concentrations directly or by increasing leaf Mn concentration.Mustafa Kemal UniversityMustafa Kemal UniversityTo Mustafa Kemal University, for funding the project; and to Dr. Mehmet Arslan, for reviewing the earlier version of the manuscript

Leaf mineral composition of grafted eggplant grown in soil infested with Verticillium and root-knot nematodes

WOS: 000282876200014The objective of this work was to determine differences in leaf mineral composition between ungrafted and grafted onto (Solanum torvum) eggplant (Solanum melongena), cultivars 'Faselis' and 'Pala', grown in a soil infested with Verticillium dahliae and Meloidogyne incognita, or in a noninfested soil. Grafting increased leaf P and Mn concentrations, and decreased N concentrations, in both soils. Grafting also enhanced leaf Ca concentration of 'Pala', but it did not affect that of 'Faselis' depending on the cropping year. Leaf Mg concentration of grafted plants in infested soil was lower than that of ungrafted ones in noninfested soil. Results showed that, under the same fertilization program, the grafted 'Faselis' plants used the nutrients more efficiently than the 'Pala' ones. Use of S. torvum as a rootstock for 'Faselis' resulted in an effective protection against multiple pathogen infestation. Fertilization may be necessary when grafted 'Faselis' plants are grown in a soil infested with the pathogens, since grafting and infestation generally decrease leaf N, Mg, Ca and Fe concentrations, either by reducing the nutrient concentrations directly or by increasing leaf Mn concentration.Mustafa Kemal UniversityMustafa Kemal UniversityTo Mustafa Kemal University, for funding the project; and to Dr. Mehmet Arslan, for reviewing the earlier version of the manuscript

Molecular and pomological diversity among pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars in Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an important fruit species for Turkey where many cultivars are being cultivated. In this study, we determined the fruit characteristics and RAPD band patterns of six local cultivars from Hatay, Turkey. Our results demonstrated that there is a great level of morphological variation. The principle component analysis of 18 quantitative fruit characteristics revealed that fruit weight, aril number/fruit, peel color and soluble solids/acidity ratio are important traits for discriminating the cultivars tested. The UPGMA cluster of fruit characteristics indicated that 'Katirbasi' and 'Kan nari' were similar to each other and they were separated from rest of the cultivars. Twenty-two RAPD primers generated total of 106 reproducible bands 22% of which were polymorphic. The UPGMA dendrogram of RAPD data showed that 'Tatli nar' and 'Serife' were very closely related while 'incekabuk' is distinct from the other cultivars. As a result, discrepancies were detected between morphological and molecular data. Therefore, we confirmed that diversity among the fruit characteristics were not good indication of genetic relatedness while molecular tools are valuable to study such similarities