The aim of this study was to investigate and compare in detail both the antifungal activity in vitro (with planktonic and biofilm-forming cells) and the essential oil composition (EOs) of naturally growing (OMN) and cultivated (OMC) samples of Origanum majorana L. (marjoram). The essential oil composition was analyzed using GC-MS. The major constituent of both EOs was carvacrol: 75.3% and 84%, respectively. Both essential oils showed high antifungal activity against clinically relevant Candida spp. with IC₅₀ and IC₉₀ less than or equal to 0.5 µg mL⁻¹ and inhibition of biofilm with a concentration of 3.5 µg mL⁻¹ or less. Cultivated marjoram oil showed higher anti-biofilm activity against C. albicans. In addition, OMC showed greater inhibition of germ-tube formation (inhibition by 83% in Spider media), the major virulence factor of C. albicans at a concentration of 0.125 µg mL⁻¹. Both EOs modulated cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), but OMN proved to be more active with a CSH% up to 58.41%. The efficacy of O. majorana EOs was also investigated using Galleria mellonella larvae as a model. It was observed that while the larvae of the control group infected with C. albicans (6.0 × 10⁸ cells) and not receiving treatment died in the controls carried out after 24 h, all larvae in the infected treatment group survived at the end of the 96th hour. When the treatment group and the infected group were evaluated in terms of vital activities, it was found that the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The infection of larvae with C. albicans and the effects of O. majorana EOs on the hemocytes of the model organism and the blastospores of C. albicans were evaluated by light microscopy on slides stained with Giemsa. Cytological examination in the treatment group revealed that C. albicans blastospores were phagocytosed and morphological changes occurred in hemocytes. Our results indicated that the essential oil of both samples showed strong antifungal activities against planktonic and biofilm-forming C. albicans cells and also had an influence on putative virulence factors (germ-tube formation and its length and on CSH).

MMedicinal and aromatic plants are widely used around the world. Today, Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.), one of the most popular medicinal plants, offers numerous benefits for human health. Black cumin oil has known to be used for the treatment of asthma, hypertension, cancer, rheumatism, and headaches over the course of many years. In this study, ten different black cumin seed oils and seed oil capsules, which have been obtained from local markets in Turkey, were investigated for their fatty acid profiles as percentages via gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). According to the results obtained, the major fatty acids found in capsules and oil samples were similar with small differences in terms of amount; linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids were found as major compounds; 35.27-58.15%, 25.06-51.83%, 7.29-12.88 % in oil samples; 36.67-56.61%, 24.93-46.71%, and 7.90-12.71% in seed oils capsule samples, respectively. This is the first study determining the fatty acid percentages of commercial black cumin seed oil and seed oil capsules.

The aim of this study is to analyze the changes on thymoquinone content, which is the major constituent of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) seeds, by using priming methods. For the priming studies, seeds placed in distilled water (18 - 20 hours), PEG (Polyethylene glycol 10%, 20%) and mannitol (4% and 6%) for 20 hours and subsequently dried for 24 hours on blotting paper at room temperature (24 ºC ± 1 ºC). The best priming results were obtained in the 4% of mannitol treatment. Control (not primed) Nigella seeds and 4% of mannitol primed seeds were planted in both greenhouse and farm conditions. Seed extracts were analyzed with HPLC to compare the amount of thymoquinone. The results reveal that seed priming with 4% of mannitol increases the amount of thymoquinone in Nigella sativa. In addition, the effects of plant growth hormones on callus regeneration of these primed seeds were investigated herein.

This study aims to determine the agricultural and technological properties of Lavandula angustofolia Mill. varieties under the ecological conditions of Çorum province from 2019 to 2020. Raya, Munstead, Silver, Sevtapolis and Vera lavender varieties collected from the Sungurlu district of Çorum province were used in the study. The highest plant length (60.27-68.43 cm) was obtained from Silver cv. in both years. The best fresh stem flower yield was obtained from Mustead cv. (479.2 kgda -1 ) in 2019 and Sevtopolis cv. (545.6 kgda -1 ) in 2020. Raya and Mustead cv. Because of these varieties are registered; after the variety name, the cv. shortening is not required gave the highest essential oil ratio in both years. In addition, it was observed that the Sevtapolis variety had the highest linalool ratio (49.07%). Also, Mustead and Sevtapolis varieties stood out in their fresh flower yield and essential oil quality.

Oral health directly influences individuals' overall health status. Infections observed here not only affect individuals' quality of life but also decrease their productivity. Additionally, these infections can lead to systemic infections by affecting other body regions. Among the major causes that disrupt oral health are untreated dental caries and advanced periodontal diseases. Factors such as the loss of drug efficacy due to antimicrobial resistance, challenges in discovering new drug classes, and the limitation of existing treatment options due to observed side effects increase the need for new treatment strategies for the prevention and treatment of oral infections. The chemical composition of commercial essential oils (EO) were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activities of antimicrobial peptides and essential oils were evaluated using minimum inhibitory concentration method. Combinations of essential oils with antimicrobial peptides at a 1:1 ratio were prepared to investigate their efficacy. The main components of the essential oils were identified as carvacrol (82.675%) for Thymus vulgaris EO, eugenol (79.367%) for Syzygium aromaticum EO, menthol (47.199%) for Mentha piperita EO, and eucalyptol (63.642%) for Eucalyptus globulus EO. Among the essential oils, T. vulgaris exhibited the best antibacterial effect. The efficacy of combinations varied among the test bacteria. The most effective combination was determined with peppermint essential oil. Peppermint essential oil reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration value of both antimicrobial peptides by fourfold. The combination of lactoferrin and thyme essential oil led to a decrease in efficacy against all test bacteria. Although antimicrobial peptides alone showed limited activity, their combination with certain essential oils enhanced their antibacterial effectiveness against oral pathogens. These findings suggest that natural agent combinations exhibit species-specific efficacy and hold promise for the development of alternative therapeutic strategies.