The use of medicinal plants is still of great importance as an alternative treatment method in neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular patients and cancer. Taraxacum officinale plant is one of the medical plants used in the treatment of many diseases as diuretic, hypolipidemic and antidiabetic thanks to the active components it contains. In order to examine the effect of Taraxacum officinal on proliferation and apoptosis in cancer, in our study, we determined the chemical composition of the Taraxacum officinal plant by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and its antioxidant status using a commercial kit. Additionally, we determined the anti-cancer effect of water, methanol and chloroform extracts of the Taraxacum officinal plant on A549 and HT-29 cancer cell lines with the help of the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) method. Finally, we aimed to determine the relationship between the chloroform extract of the Taraxacum officinal plant, which has the highest anti-cancer properties, and apoptosis by determining the expressions of BAX, BCL-2 and Caspase-3, which are among the genes associated with apoptosis, in A549 and HT-29 cancer cell lines, with the help of Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. We determined that the Taraxacum officinal plant has an anti-cancer effect by increasing caspase-3 expressions in A549 lung cancer cell lines and by increasing caspase-3 and BAX expressions and decreasing BCL-2 expression in HT-29 colon cancer cell lines. In light of the data we obtained, we can say that the Taraxacum officinal plant has anti-cancer properties that cause a decrease in cell proliferation by regulating the expression of genes related to apoptosis

Familial Mediterranean Fever disease (FMF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease, as well as a disease that seriously impairs the quality of life, accompanied by the appearance of symptoms such as recurrent high fever, peritonitis and acute synovitis. In FMF disease, a mutation status in the MEFV gene is encountered. The presence of faulty protein synthesis as a result of this mutation mediates the emergence of the disease. It is thought that there may be a condition associated with apoptosis in the pathogenesis of this disease. Apoptosis is a form of cell death in which energy is expended and programmed with great importance in maintaining cellular balance. In this study, the levels of Caspase 3, Caspase 8, Caspase 9, Granzyme B and Apaf 1 from apoptosis-related proteins were analyzed using the ELISA method in serum samples obtained from FMF patients treated with colchicine and a healthy control group. There was no statistically significant difference between Caspase 3 (P=0, 111), Granzyme B (P=0, 304), Apaf 1 (P=0, 097) and Caspase 8 (P=0, 245) levels in the FMF patient group compared to the control group (p >0, 05). A statistically significant difference was found in the Caspase 9 levels in the FMF patient group (P=0.001) compared to the control group (p

Specific Learning Disability (SLD) describes persistent difficulties in academic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics, despite having normal intelligence. The exact origin of SLD is unknown. However, it is thought that biological factors and environmental conditions, along with genetic factors, contribute to the development of SLD. Agmatine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, plays a role in various biological processes. Agmatine has been reported to mediate antidepressant effects and neuroprotective effects, and it plays critical roles in learning and the processing of learned information into memory. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between SLD and agmatine metabolism by determining the enzyme levels of arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and agmatinase (AGMAT) in children with SLD. ADC and AGMAT levels in the blood serum of children with SLD and controls were analyzed using ELISA. When ADC levels in children with SLD (30.26 ± 5.06 ng/mL) were compared with those in the control group (29.82 ± 4.95 ng/mL), the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.737). However, AGMAT levels in children with SLD (27.02 ± 4.46 ng/mL) were found to be statistically significantly higher than those in the control group (21.42 ± 3.98 ng/mL) (p < 0.001). In light of these findings, we can say that agmatine breakdown is significantly increased in children with SLD.

Objective: Trauma is the impairment of an individual’s ability to integrate emotions and cognitions after experiencing events. Psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop in individuals following traumatic events. Traumas experienced by children can cause PTSD, just as it is encountered in adults who experience trauma. Alterations in the polyamine synthesis pathway and telomerase activity have been reported to be associated with cellular stress responses and neurobiological processes. Therefore, this study examines polyamine synthesis pathway enzyme levels and telomerase enzyme levels in children with PTSD to investigate their potential roles in the development of the disorder. Methods: Agmatinase (AGMAT) and telomerase enzyme levels were analyzed using ELISA in the blood serum of children with PTSD and control group. Results: Agmatinase and telomerase levels were found to be statistically significantly increased in the PTSD group. The mean AGMAT level in the PTSD group was 59.04 ± 19.36 ng/mL, while this value was 38.35 ± 17.36 ng/mL in the control group, and the difference between the groups was found to be statistically significant (P < .001). Similarly, in terms of telomerase levels, telomerase levels were statistically significantly higher in the PTSD group, with a mean of 178.90 ± 51.99 IU/mL, while this value was 159.10 ± 82.10 IU/mL in the control group (P < .05). Conclusion: The findings suggest a possible link between AGMAT and telomerase levels and PTSD.