Fertilizers in different nitrogen forms (calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), urea, ammonium sulfate (AS), and ammonium nitrate (AN)) and their doses (50, 100, and 150) for beetroot (BT) (Beta vulgarisL. var.conditivaAlef.) and the antioxidant and antiradical activities in the lyophilized water and alcohol extracts of BT were evaluated. In order to evaluate antioxidant and radical removing activities of BT roots, total phenolic compound amount assignment, total flavonoids amount assignment, method of Fe³⁺-Fe²⁺reduction activity using ferric cyanate reduction, cupric ions (Cu²⁺) reducing capacity with CUPRAC method, Fe³⁺reducing capacity according to FRAP method, ferrous ions (Fe²⁺) chelating activity, superoxide anion radical (O2•-) removing activity, and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS^•+) radical removing activity were determined. In the study, BHA andα-tocopherol were used as standard antioxidants. It was determined that water and alcohol extracts obtained from BT roots indicated reduction activities, effectively. In addition, it was also determined that these reduction activities were indicated in most BT roots grown in fertilizer media at lower percentage and that they had higher antioxidative level than that of standard antioxidants.

Alzheimer’s disease is the main reason for dementia, which increases with age. Cholinesterase inhibition and antioxidant potentials of extracts and essential oils from bulbs of A. tuncelianum (Kollmann) Özhatay & al., an endemic species to Tunceli (easthern Turkey), were evaluated. The fraction extracted of ethyl acetate had the highest phenolics level, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, and thiobarbituric acid antioxidant capacity. Also, the ethyl acetate fraction presented the highest acetylcholinesterase (15.98 ± 2.76%), and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition (47.33 ± 3.27%). Diallyl disulfide (49.8%), diallyl trisulfide (27.9%) and allyl methyl trisulfide (6.9%) were found to be the major components of essential oil. This paper shows that the ethyl acetate fraction of A. tuncelianum could be a potent source of antioxidant and anticholinesterase components.

It is well-known that salinity is an important adverse environmental factor (abiotic stresses) that limits plant growth, development, and productivity all over the world. Herein, we report for the first time the use of graphene oxide (GO) as a promising material against the salinity stress using melon (Cucumis melo L.) seeds as the model crop. GO as a priming material possesses various advantages such as being highly water-soluble, nontoxic, producible on a large scale from graphite, and low-cost over the existing materials. In this study, we identified the effect of different GO doses (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 mg/mL) on seed germination of melon (Cucumis melo L. cvs. 'Hasanbey', 'Kırkağaç-589', and 'Kırkağaç-637') seeds under the salinity stress. The effect of GO as a priming material showed variance depending on the GO dose, melon cultivars, and level of salinity stress. It was determined that the germination percentage and the length of the radicle were higher in GO primed seeds compared to the control in all the melon cultivars tested. All cultivars did not germinate in the control at the highest salinity stress (26.20 dS m-1). The germination percentage of the GO-treated seeds changed in the range of 12.25% (0.50 mg mL-1 GO) -16.63% (0.25 mg mL-1 GO) at the highest salinity stress in 'Kırkağaç-589'. Radicle lengths of 'Hasanbey', 'Kırkağaç-589', and 'Kırkağaç-637' varied from 0.47, 0.57, 1.67 cm to 7.80, 9.47, and 8.80 cm, respectively, as the salinity stress elevated to 15 g L-1 (0 to 26.20 dS m-1). We believe that this study will pave the way for the application of GO as a priming material for both melon and different crops for eliminating problems of salinity stress.