Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is an economically and nutritionally important plant species with high genetic diversity bearing rich biochemical compounds. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the morphological composition and chemical properties of 17 genotypes of garlic consisting of 15 genotypes collected from various regions of Türkiye and two superior genotypes from China and Iran. The examined genotypes in this research are: "Isparta-Çaltı", "Aksaray-Local", "Tokat-Local1", "Çorum-Üyük","Iran", "Kırklareli-Vize", "Tokat-Local2","Antalya-Kemer", "Antalya-Elmalı","Kastamonu-Taşköprü", "Balıkesir-Cinge","Konya-Akşehir", "Aksaray-Purple","Şanlıurfa-Birecik", "Kütahya-Germiyan","Aksaray-White", "China". This research targeted superior genotypes by analyzing morphological traits, mineral content, organic acid profiles, and sugar compositions. The genotypes examined in this study exhibited significant differences in morphological traits, elemental composition, organic acids, and sugars (p<0.05). Plant height ranged from 85.6 cm (G3) to 102.0 cm (G1), and leaf number from 8.0 (G17) to 13.4 (G10, G12). Sucrose levels in cloves varied from 2,461.15 mg/kg (G12) to 13,727.28 mg/kg (G16), while potassium content ranged from 807.7 mg/kg (G17) to 1,695.7 mg/kg (G9). PCA revealed that PC1 (29.37%) represented elements and organic acids, PC2 (14.70%) reflected sugars, and PC3 (10.47%) was associated with morphological traits related to N and P accumulation. Correlation analysis showed positive associations such as leaf width with pseudostem width (r=0.64) and potassium with magnesium (r=0.82), suggesting coordinated nutrient uptake. Negative correlations were found between sodium and nitrogen (r=–0.21), and malic acid and glucose (r=–0.52), indicating potential metabolic trade-offs. G14 appeared unique morphologically and biochemically, while G10, G11, and G12 clustered due to similar profiles. These findings highlight the potential of garlic genotypes for functional evaluation and breeding program development. This analysis determined that remarkable differences existed among the genotypes in terms of morphological characteristics, mineral composition, sugars, and organic acid profiles, which informed important breeding and functional product development. Genotypes G10, G12, and G14 exhibited superior morphological features with rich mineral content, while high levels of bioactive compounds (micronutrients and organic acids) in G6, G8, and G16 distinguished them biochemically. The use of multivariate statistical analysis allowed accurate differentiation among genotypes based on their structure and biochemical properties, paving the way for specific breeding strategies. The results are of great importance as a reference in the selection of genotypes with high nutritional quality and industrial utility.

Peppers are significant crops frequently used in cooking or as spice. Numerous phytochemicals, including capsaicinoids, phenolics, and carotenoids are found in peppers. Capsaicinoids are responsible for the distinctively pungent flavor. A comparative study of the proximate, mineral, fatty acid composition, and phytochemical components of 15 types of pepper spices (1 Isot Pepper Flake, 4 Chili Powders, and 10 Chili Pepper Flakes) were investigated. Analysis of the proximate composition included moisture content (6.54-19.49%), ash content (6.53-22.48%) and acid insoluble ash content (0.41-1.12%). Total phenolic content ranged from 9.72 to 20.05 mg GAE g-1. The lowest and highest capsaicinoid content were found in S15 (10247.6 Scoville Heat Unit (SHU)) and S9 (38861.7 SHU) samples, respectively. Total carotenoid content ranged from 739.8–1941.7 mg kg-1. Phytochemical analyses revealed that these spices are high in phytonutrients such as carotenoid and capsaicinoid. Mineral elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, manganese, and sodium were also present in the spices, which are essential for human nutrition.

Drought, an important abiotic stress factor, has a profound effect on plant growth, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. This study investigated the interactive effects of drought stress [100, 75, 50 and 25% Field Capacity (FC)] and plant development stages (20, 40 and 60 days after flowering) on pepper species (Capsicum annuumL. and Capsicum chinense Jacq.). The results show that drought affects plant morphology and reduces photosynthetic pigments while increasing phytochemicals [total phenolics (TPh), total flavonoids (TFv) and total antioxidant activity (TAa)], malondialdehyde (MDA), protein, proline, and antioxidant enzymes [catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD)] (P ≤ 0.05). Throughout plant development, a decrease in photosynthetic pigments and phytochemicals was observed, accompanied by an increase in biochemical components and antioxidant enzymes. The photosynthetic pigments of C. annuum were less affected by drought. Extreme irrigation conditions (25 and 100% FC) caused significant phytochemical changes. With increasing drought stress severity, C. annuum showed significantly higher biophysical and enzymatic values compared to C. chinense. Different stress conditions resulted in significantly higher increases in SOD, POD and CAT levels in C. annuum compared to C. chinense at all growth stages, with average increases of 1.40-fold, 1.25-fold and 1.75-fold, respectively. In addition, antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly higher in C. annuum with increasing stress severity, helping to cope with oxidative stress. In conclusion, C. annuum shows more stable morphological, physiological and biochemical performances compared to C. chinense, establishing itself as a more drought-tolerant species.

Irrigation significantly affects plant physiology, especially in arid regions, and plays a crucial role in growth and development. Understanding the effects of irrigation on different fruit ripening periods is essential for sustainable agriculture. This study investigates the phyto‐biochemical changes and antioxidative responses of C. baccatum to different irrigation levels during fruit ripening. Five irrigation levels (IL), 150% (IL5), 100% (IL4), 75% (IL3, control), 50% (IL2), and 25% (IL1) field capacity (FC), were studied over three ripening periods at 20^th, 40^th and 60^th days after flowering. Significant changes in phytochemical composition, biochemical properties, and antioxidant enzyme activities were observed in response to different irrigation levels. Reduced irrigation levels combined with fruit ripening led to a significant increase in capsaicinoid components, while drought conditions enhanced antioxidant activity by increasing total phenolics and flavonoids. Conversely, MDA, proline, and protein levels increased under drought stress. Excessive irrigation increased biochemical components throughout ripening, while key enzyme activities responded proportionally to drought severity, with no significant effect above control levels. Optimal chemical components were observed at IL4, with IL1 showing the maximum pungency. Most parameters peaked on the 60^th day after flowering, highlighting the importance of fruit ripening periods. These results provide valuable insights for refined irrigation strategies, improved physiological resilience, and sustainable yield enhancement.

This study aims to investigate the total chemical component, biological activity and chromatographic analysis of the fruit extract of Styrax officinalis, obtained from local markets trading local products in the Gaziantep region. Methanol was used to extract the pericarp and seed samples that make up the fruit. Fruit pericarp extract with high phenolic content showed a significant capacity in all antioxidant activity analyses. No antibacterial activity of the extracts was observed against the standard strains used. Regarding phenolic acid content, the most abundant phenolic acid in the fruit pericarp extract was chrysin and t-cinnamic acid. In contrast, in the seed extract, it was t-cinnamic acid and quercetin. HPLC results revealed that succinic acid was the main component of organic acid contents in all extracts. The fact that the main components determined from all analyses have various strong pharmacological activities reveals the importance of the widespread use of S. officinalis.