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

Multi-functionality of the few: Current and past uses of wild plants for food and healing in LiubaÅ\u84 region, Belarus

Background: This study examined the use of wild plants in the food, medicinal and veterinary areas within a small territory limited to one village council in the LiubaÅ\u84 district of Belarus. The objectives of the research were to document the current and past uses of wild plants in this region for food and human/animal medication; to analyse the food, medicinal and veterinary areas in the context of wild plants; and to qualitatively compare the results with relevant publications concerning the wild food plants of Belarus. Methods: Fieldwork was carried out as a practical part of a development cooperation project in May 2016 in 11 villages of the LiubaÅ\u84 district. One hundred thirty-four respondents were selected randomly. Information about local uses of wild plants was obtained via semi-structured interviews and the folk-history method. Interview records were digitalized and the data structured in Detailed Use Records (DUR), which were divided into food, medicinal and veterinary areas and then analysed to ascertain local perceptions. Results: A total of 2252 DUR of wild plants were recorded. Eighty-eight wild plant taxa belonging to 45 plant families were used across all three areas. Of these, 58 taxa were used in the food, 74 in the medicinal and 23 in the veterinary areas. A relatively high percentage of the taxa were used in both the food and medicinal areas (55%) and an even greater percentage in both the medicinal and veterinary areas (87%). Comparison with earlier research on wild food plants shows the considerable difference among seldom-mentioned taxa or uses, showing possible regional differences despite the homogenization of the population during the Soviet era. Conclusions: As the majority of taxa with overlapping uses belonged to the most utilized plants, there appears to be clear a tendency to use plants in several different areas once they are brought into the home. This may be due to the need to maximize the versatility of limited resources. While the number of wild taxa used is relatively high, the mean number of taxa used per person is quite low, which indicates the relatively minor importance of wild plants in the respective areas in the study region. The low importance of snacks signals that unintended contact with nature has been lost

Przeciwdrobnoustrojowe właściwości roztworów chitozanowych, folii chitozanowych i żelatynowo-chitozanowych

The antimicrobial properties of chitosan solutions and films against selected bacteria and the effect of chitosan incorporation into gelatin films were studied. The bactericidal effect of chitosan solutions increased with time and temperature of sample incubation. Two psychrotrophic strains Pseudomonas fluorescens and Listeria innocua were more sensitive to chitosan than mesophilic strains Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The growth of bacteria under chitosan discs was inhibited. In the case of two component gelatin-chitosan films strong antimicrobial effect was also observed.Zbadano właściwości przeciwdrobnoustrojowe roztworów i folii chitozanowych oraz dwuskładnikowych folii żelatynowo-chitozanowych, wobec wybranych bakterii. Stwierdzono zwiększenie bakteriobójczego działania roztworów chitozanu wraz ze wzrostem temperatury i wydłużeniem czasu inkubacji. Dwa psychrotrofowe szczepy Pseudomonas fluorescens i Listeria innocua wykazały większą wrażliwość na działanie chitozanu niż mezofilne szczepy Escherichia coli i Staphylococcus aureus. Wzrost badanych drobnoustrojów został całkowicie zahamowany pod krążkami z folii chitozanowych. Silne właściwości przeciwdrobnoustrojowe zaobserwowano również w przypadku dwuskładnikowych folii żelatynowo-chitozanowych

Non-invasive assessment of skin tissues structures and body composition analysis of the persons suffering from cellulite - a case study

Zmiany struktury skóry dotkniętej cellulitem są spowodowane wieloma czynnikami, m.in. zaburzeniami metabolizmu tkanki tłuszczowej, upośledzeniem przepływu krwi I limfy oraz magazynowaniem produktów przemiany mateiii w skórze. Problem cellulitu dotyczy wielu osób, w zdecydowanej większości kobiet. Wykorzystując nowoczesne metody analizy właściwości tnechanicznych skóry oraz analizy składu ciała, możliwa jest analiza wielu czynników wpływających na nasilenie procesu negatywnych zmian strukturalnych w obrębie skóry i tkanki podskórnej.Morphological changes of skin with ceilulite are caused by various factors, e.g. adipose tissue metabolism and microcirculation disorders. T h e y may also result from gathering of metabolism products witthin skin. Cellulite problems are considered to be a serious problem for women. This kind of sk n changes causes various problem in dermatological and psychological aspects of treatment. Modernand non-invasive examination techniques of skin propertis and body composition analysis enable to obtain very valuable data concerning ceilulite

Extraction of gelatin from salmon (Salmo salar) fish skin using trypsin-aided process: optimization by Plackett–Burman and response surface methodological approaches

Gelatin from salmon (Salmo salar) skin with high molecular weight protein chains (a-chains) was extracted using trypsin-aided process. Response surface methodology was used to optimise the extraction parameters. Yield, hydroxyproline content and protein electrophoretic profile via sodium dodecyl sulfate– polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of gelatin were used as responses in the optimization study. The optimum conditions were determined as: trypsin concentration at 1.49 U/g; extraction temperature at 45 C; and extraction time at 6 h 16 min. This response surface optimized model was significant and produced an experimental value (202.04 ± 8.64%) in good agreement with the predicted value (204.19%). Twofold higher yields of gelatin with high molecular weight protein chains were achieved in the optimized process with trypsin treatment when compared to the process without trypsin