Orthotrichum Hedw. and Lewinskya F. Lara, Garilleti & Goffinet are widespread genera within the family Orthotrichaceae Arn. Although spore size is commonly used in the identification of these genera, detailed information on spore ornamentation remains insufficient. Therefore, in this study, the detailed spore morphological characteristics and capsule structures of several Orthotrichum species collected from Türkiye (O. bistratosum (Schiffn.) J. Guerra, O. diaphanum Schrad. ex Brid., O. pallens Bruch ex Brid., O. pumilum Sw. ex anon., O. scanicum Gronvall, O. stramineum Hornsch. ex Brid.) and Lewinskya striata (Hedw.) F. Lara, Garilleti & Goffinet were examined using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The aperture regions of most of the examined spores were found to possess a leptoma. In addition, depending on the type of sclerine ornamentation, the spores of the studied species correspond to three morphological categories: verrucate, gemmate, and granulate. The spores are also katalept, monolete, or trilete. In equatorial view, spore shapes range from spheroidal to plan-convex. Generally, the surface ornamentation elements are prominent, accompanied by smaller projections such as micro-verrucae, nano-gemmae, and granulae. Furthermore, the polar outline of the spores is typically circular to ellipsoidal, and occasionally subtriangular. The average polar axis (P) length ranges from 10.41 µm to 21.77 µm, while the equatorial diameter (E) ranges between 11.66 µm and 24.67 µm. It was determined that characteristics such as spore shape, size, and surface ornamentation vary among the examined taxa, indicating their taxonomic significance.

Grape is one of the most widely consumed food sources worldwide and has been under massive research for its health benefits. In this study, we used ethanolic extracts from six different grape cultivars (both white and black grapes) to test their anticancer capacity for Huh7 liver cancer cell line. The findings showed that the grape cultivar species play the role on the cytotoxicity, which was observed as biphasic dose dependent. Based on the findings and the literature, it can be claimed rather than using whole grape extracts, fractionation of the extracts is needed to isolate bioactive compounds due to the fact that flavonoids can serve as cytotoxicity and cytoprotective behaviors depending on their chemistry.

The grapevine has been cultivated in almost every region of the world due to its commercial value and as a spread source of food, all which has allowed diversification of grape types. The distinction of grapevine varieties is usually made by examining their morphological features. However, it is known that anatomical studies are very valuable in plant taxonomy. In this study, the anatomical features of leaf and petiole sections were examined using three set of samples for eight different grapevine varieties (i.e., 'Öküzgözü', 'Narince', 'Syrah', 'Boğazkere', 'Kalecik Karası', 'Viognier', 'Malbec' and 'Sauvignon Blanch') grown in the vineyards of Toklümen village in the center of Kırşehir Province. Leaf blade sections are generally seen to consist of upper epidermis, palisade parenchyma, spongy parenchyma and lower epidermis layers. On the other hand, the petiole has a five-lobed appearance in cross-section, drawing attention to the accessory vascular bundle seen from the adaxial region along with large vascular bundles above them. According to the findings, it was determined that although the anatomical features may vary according to environmental effects, there were significant differences in different cultivars growing in the same area.

Geographical and botanical origin dominate the chemical composition and biological activity of propolis samples. In this study, thirty Turkish propolis samples collected from different regions within the Black Sea region were comprehensively evaluated to investigate the relationships between phytochemical composition, antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, and anticancer potential. The propolis samples were extracted using 70% aqueous ethanol and labeled as K1-K30. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and DPPH radical scavenging activity were determined. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains using inhibition zone (ZI), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) tests. Most of the extracts showed measurable antibacterial activity, where Gram-positive bacteria generally showed higher susceptibility compared to the tested Gram-negative bacterial species. The extracts K12, K13, K22, K24, and K28 demonstrated the strongest broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that antibacterial efficacy was more strongly associated with antioxidant capacity and flavonoid richness than with total phenolic content alone. FRAP and TFC emerged as the strongest predictors of antibacterial activity, while specific phenolic compounds (particularly quercetin and trans ferulic acid) were associated with enhanced activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Preliminary anticancer activity was assessed using cell viability assays at 24, 48, and 72 h. Cytotoxic responses were highly heterogeneous and strongly time-dependent. K10, among the extracts, exhibited the strongest anticancer activity, showing inhibition rates above 80% at 24 and 48 h, whereas K4 and K23 also demonstrated considerable cytotoxic effects. Notably, antibacterial and anticancer activities were not directly correlated. Extracts with strong antibacterial activity, such as K12 and K22, showed proliferative effects in anticancer assays, whereas K10 displayed weak antibacterial but strong anticancer activity. These findings demonstrate that antibacterial and anticancer properties of propolis are governed by distinct phytochemical compositions. Overall, this study highlights the multidimensional bioactivity of Turkish propolis and emphasizes the importance of comprehensive phytochemical characterization for identifying extracts with application-specific therapeutic potential.