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

Presence of toxic heavy metals in human breast milk [Anne sütünde toksik agır metal varlıgı]

Aim: In breast-fed infants, toxic chemicals previously been exposed to the mother are also a potential risk to the baby. The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of Ni, Cd, Pb and Sb in mother's milk and to highlight the possible potential risks of toxic heavy metals in the light of published epidemiological studies and scientific literature. Material and Method: For the study, milk samples were collected from 58 breast-feeding mothers who were residing in their provinces for more than five years and gave birth here and applied to follow up in any time after the first month period. Ni, Cd, Pb and Sb levels of milk samples were measured by ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) spectroscopy device. Results: In examined breast milks, 53.4% Ni, 17.2% Cd, 12.1% Pb and 15.5% Sb were found. Out of 58 mothers enrolled in the study, none of the heavy metals was detected in only 13 (22.4%) mother's milk, one or more heavy metal was found in the rest of the milks of mothers. Discusssion: In rural and urban areas, the environment is widely contaminated with heavy metals. This toxic substances come to be found in breast milk. In the earth, the main source of environmental toxins that breast-feed infants faced with is breast milk. To minimize the exposure of toxins with breast milk, the risk of confrontation with mothers and toxic agents should be reduced

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

Overweight, obesity, weight-related behaviors, and health-related quality of life among high-school students in Turkey

PubMed: 31463887Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and associated socio-demographic and lifestyle behaviors among a sample of high-school students in Turkey. This study also examined the effect of overweight and obesity on health-related quality of life in students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 1216 adolescents aged 14?18 years old was conducted from 2018 to 2019 in Turkey, using questionnaire forms and anthropometric measurements. Classification of BMI was based on the WHO reference weight categories. Factors linked to adolescent obesity were identified using the binary logistic regression model and the degree of association was revealed by determining the odds ratio, at a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. Results: The prevalence of overweight was 26.1%, while that of obese students was 12.8%. Factors associated with being obese included being in the 14?15 age group, being male, having dysfunctional family relationships, spending more than 3 h/day on screen time, and performing physical activity (? 60 min) two times or less per week. Obese adolescents reported significantly lower scores in physical and mental health. Conclusions: In this study, more than one-third of the students were either overweight or obese. Obesity was associated with screen time, physical activity, and family relationship. Obesity in children had a negative impact on their quality of life. Therefore, increasing physical activity, lowering screen time, and having a healthy parent?adolescent relationship could contribute to reducing the prevalence of obesity in overweight/obese students. Level of evidence: Level V, descriptive (cross-sectional) study. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG