Of the importance of a leaf: the ethnobotany of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans

BACKGROUND: Sarma - cooked leaves rolled around a filling made from rice and/or minced meat, possibly vegetables and seasoning plants - represents one of the most widespread feasting dishes of the Middle Eastern and South-Eastern European cuisines. Although cabbage and grape vine sarma is well-known worldwide, the use of alternative plant leaves remains largely unexplored. The aim of this research was to document all of the botanical taxa whose leaves are used for preparing sarma in the folk cuisines of Turkey and the Balkans. Methods: Field studies were conducted during broader ethnobotanical surveys, as well as during ad-hoc investigations between the years 2011 and 2014 that included diverse rural communities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Primary ethnobotanical and folkloric literatures in each country were also considered. Results: Eighty-seven botanical taxa, mainly wild, belonging to 50 genera and 27 families, were found to represent the bio-cultural heritage of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans. The greatest plant biodiversity in sarma was found in Turkey and, to less extent, in Bulgaria and Romania. The most commonly used leaves for preparing sarma were those of cabbage (both fresh and lacto-fermented), grape vine, beet, dock, sorrel, horseradish, lime tree, bean, and spinach. In a few cases, the leaves of endemic species (Centaurea haradjianii, Rumex gracilescens, and R. olympicus in Turkey) were recorded. Other uncommon sarma preparations were based on lightly toxic taxa, such as potato leaves in NE Albania, leaves of Arum, Convolvulus, and Smilax species in Turkey, of Phytolacca americana in Macedonia, and of Tussilago farfara in diverse countries. Moreover, the use of leaves of the introduced species Reynoutria japonica in Romania, Colocasia esculenta in Turkey, and Phytolacca americana in Macedonia shows the dynamic nature of folk cuisines. Conclusion: The rich ethnobotanical diversity of sarma confirms the urgent need to record folk culinary plant knowledge. The results presented here can be implemented into initiatives aimed at re-evaluating folk cuisines and niche food markets based on local neglected ingredients, and possibly also to foster trajectories of the avant-garde cuisines inspired by ethnobotanical knowledge

The Value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Detecting Bone Marrow Involvement in Childhood Cancers

PubMedID: 31033787Background:The aim of this study was to assess the utility of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in assessing bone marrow involvement (BMI) compared with bone marrow biopsy (BMB) in the initial staging of pediatric patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), Ewing sarcoma (ES), and neuroblastoma (NB).Procedure:A total of 94 patients (57 boys, 37 girls, median age 7 y, range 1 to 18 y) with newly diagnosed NHL, HL, ES, and NB between July 2014 and December 2017, who underwent BMB and 18F-FDG PET/CT before chemotherapy were included in this study. There were 36 patients with NHL, 27 HL, 16 ES, and 15 NB. 18F-FDG PET/CT and BMB results were reviewed and compared retrospectively.Findings:Retrospective analysis of data from 94 pediatric patients (57 boys, 37 girls, median age 7 y, range 1 to 18 y) was performed. Of the 94 patients, 29 had BMI on 18F-FDG PET/CT. BMB was positive in 14, negative in 13, and insufficient in 2 of these 29 patients. In 65 patients negative on 18F-FDG PET/CT, BMB was also negative in 54 and insufficient in 7. For the whole group, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 18F-FDG PET/CT in detecting bone marrow metastasis at the time of diagnosis were 90.6%, 100%, 100%, and 95.4% and those of BMB were 53.1%, 87.1%, 94.4%, and 80.6%, respectively.Conclusion:Our study demonstrates that 18F-FDG PET/CT predicts BMI better than BMB. 18F-FDG PET/CT may be used at initial staging of pediatric patients with NHL, HL, ES, and NB. © 2019 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved

Ligninolytic enzyme activities in mycelium of some wild and commercial mushrooms

Lignin is probably one of the most recalcitrant compounds synthesized by plants. This compound is degraded by few microorganisms. White-rot fungi have been extensively studied due to its powerful ligninolytic enzymes. In this study, ligninolytic enzyme activities of different fungal species (six commercial and 13 wild) were investigated in solid and liquid culture media. It was postulated that, among the wild strains, only Pleurotus ostreatus-1 (MCC45), P. ostreatus-2 (MCC40), Pleurotus eryngii-1 (MCC25) and P. eryngii-2 (MCC26), and commercial strains P. ostreatus, P. sajor-caju, P. eryngii presented lignin peroxidase (LiP) activity. All enzymes tested in this study were not determined in Rigidoporus ulmarius, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Tricholoma caligatum as well as commercial strainPleurotus citrinopileatus. Therefore, the results of the present study allow us to conclude that wild P. ostreatus and P. eryngii are good candidates for scale-up ligninolytic enzyme production

The role of the poputeal lymph nodes imaging for differentiating rheumatoid arthritis from osteoarthritis [Romatoi·d artri·ti·n osteoartri·tten ayirici tanisinda popli·teal lenf nodu görüntülemesi·ni·n yeri·]

• Objective: We wanted to assess the role of the popliteal lymph nodes for differentiating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from osteoarthritis (OA) by using three dimensional-fast spoiled gradient echo (3D-FSPGR) MR imaging and colour doppler ultrasonography (CDU). • Material and Method: MR examination of the knee of 38 cases, 18 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 20 with osteoarthritis (OA) were analyzed retrospectively. MR images were acquired with a 1.5-Tesla magnet. The MR imaging protocol consisted of 3D-FSPGR sequences in three planes. Images were reviewed to describe the number, size and centrally fatty changes of the popliteal lymph nodes. Additionally, these nodes were examined by CDU. Statistical Package for Social Sciences 11.0 program for Windows was performed for statistical analysis. • Results: The popliteal nodes were observed in 88.8% of RA cases and 30% of OA cases. The number of the nodes in the RA and OA group was 53, and 8, respectively. The mean size of the lymph nodes in the RA and OA group was 7.4mm, and 3.6mm, respectively. Central fatty was observed in 100% of OA cases and in 60.4% of RA cases. The hiler vascularization was observed in the only 13% of RA cases. Mean value of the RI was determined as 0.62+/-0.005. • Conclusion: Differentiating RA from OA, the criteria of the number, sizes and central fatty changes of the popliteal lymph nodes showed statistical significance. Performing 3D-FSPGR sequence in knee MR imaging might useful to describe these nodes. The hiler vascularization with low RIs in CDU is also helpful criteria to differentiating RA from OA

Ga-67 uptake: A predictor of post-therapy active residual disease and clinical outcome in patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma

Purpose: Diagnosis and treatment of post-therapy active residual disease (PTARD) is essential in patients with lymphoma. After treatment, Ga-67 scan is considered as a useful technique for monitoring response in these patients. Material and Methods: Between December 1998 and January 2004, 63 patients histopathologically diagnosed with Diffuse Large Cell Lymphoma (DLCL) were studied. Patients were evaluated before and after treatment with a whole body Ga-67 scan in addition to other imaging techniques. International Prognostic Index (IPI), and clinical variables were determined according to criteria reported by the International non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Prognostic factors Project. Results: Among the patients with positive computed tomography (CT) scan, the 5-year relapse-free and overall survival rates were 70% and 78% for those with negative scans compared with 23% and 35% for gallium-positive patients, respectively (p 0.004, p0.008). Furthermore, the 5-year relapse-free and overall survival rates were 92% and %91 for those with negative scans compared with 33% and 40% for gallium-positive patients (p 0.001, p 0.004), among the patients with negative CT scan. All patients were divided into two groups according to the IPI index after therapy and the 5-year relapse-free survival rate for negative Ga-67 scan is 75%, as compared with 42% for restaging positive Ga-67 scan (p0.004) in the patients with low IPI score. Conclusion: Ga-67 scan is capable of detecting PTARD that remains undetected at CT and it appears to be a better predictor of outcome than previously evaluated pretreatment risk factors in patients with DLCL