Morfometric study on Scorzonera L. taxa (Asteraceae) from northeast Anatolia

Phenetic traits of 39 populations belonging to 19 taxa of Scorzonera L. (Asteraceae) from north Anatolia were analyzed with the use of numerical methods. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that pubescence and length of achenes, the shape of outer phyllaries, and average length of flowering capitula, plant pubescence, root shape and state of the plant stem are the best variables to distinguish the examined taxa. In addition, it was also found that binary are more important than quantitative characters in discriminating the examined Scorzonera taxa. Numerical results based on 25 morphological characters were discussed and compared with traditional taxonomic treatments

Traditional Turkish Coffee with Medicinal Effect

Traditional Turkish coffee (TTC) is highly associated with caffeine and is known as a mind and heart stimulant as it helps keep tiredness at bay. Daily consumption of TTC naturally benefits human health such as anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, improved energy, anti-depression, reduced risk of heart disease, etc. The TTC was derived from particular types of Arabic coffee beans (ACB), and the preparation method of TTC is unique from other types of coffee. The main objective of the study was to investigate the therapeutic and biological effects of TTC. The ACB powder was characterized physicochemically using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). In vitro analysis using HaCaT (Human keratinocyte cell line) proved the biocompatibility of ACB powder. Case studies which were focusing on healthy individuals as the research populace were conducted using TTC. Consumption of TTC was found beneficially compared to other types of coffee. The TTC was obtained from ACB, which was characterized by spectroscopic techniques and displayed biocompatibility due to the results on HaCaT cell lines. The TTC has beneficial therapeutic effects on individuals. According to statistical analysis, the disease-affected ratio of diabetes, heart disease, and depression was significantly decreased