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

Correlations among enthesitis, clinical, radiographic and quality of life parameters in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

PubMedID: 24252034Objectives. To investigate the relationship between enthesitis and disease activity, functional status, fatigue, joint mobility, radiological damage, laboratory parameter and quality of life in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods. A total of 421 patients with AS (323 male and 98 female) who were included in the Turkish League Against Rheumatism Registry were enrolled in the study. The Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), fatigue, the Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), the Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI), the Maastricht AS Enthesitis Score (MASES), AS quality of life (ASQoL), the Bath AS Radiology Index (BASRI) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were evaluated. Results. Enthesitis was detected in 27.3% of patients. There were positive correlations between MASES and BASDAI, BASFI and fatigue (p < 0.05). MASES was not correlated with BASRI, BASMI, ASQoL and ESR. The mean MASES score was 1.1 ± 2.4. The most frequent regions of enthesopathies were right iliac crest, spinous process of L5 and proximal to the insertion of left achilles tendon, respectively. Conclusions. Enthesitis was found to be associated with higher disease activity, higher fatigue, worse functional status and lower disease duration. As enthesitis was correlated with BASDAI, we conclude that enthesitis can reflect the disease activity in patients with AS. © 2014 Japan College of Rheumatology

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