This study aimed to identify the chemical composition (ash, cellulose, total chlorophylls, carotenoid, and essential oil (EO) content), antioxidant activity, and mineral composition of the lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L) obtained from Bulgaria. The chemical composition of the EO was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major constituents of the EO were caryophyllene oxide (33.99%), n-hexadecanoic acid (14.28%), α-citral (6.62%), (5E,9E)-farnesyl acetone (5.00%), β-caryophyllene (4.82%), (2E,6Z)-farnesal (4.56%), (5E,9Z)-farnesyl acetone (4.16%), β-citral (3.98%), and γ-eudesmol (3.13%). The antioxidant potential was assessed using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazyl) free radical, ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP), TEAC assay, determination of hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity and determination of superoxide scavenging capacity methods. The total phenol content was analyzed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The total flavonoid amount of the extracts was determined by optimizing the aluminum chloride colorimetric method. The total phenolic content, the total flavonoid composition, and the antioxidant potential of the lemon balm leaves included 184.33 mg GAE g-1, 12.65 mg QE g-1, and 62.83 μg ml-1, respectively. Mineral and heavy metal contents were determined by the iCAP-Qc ICP-MS spectrometer. The highest amounts of macro and microminerals were determined for K, Ca, Mg, Sr, Rb, Ba, Mn, and Fe, respectively.

Achillea biebersteinii and Anthemis tinctoria, which are widely distributed species of the Asteraceae family, are used in folk medicine in the form of herbal tea or extract in the treatment of many diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical content, antimicrobial, antioxidant, enzyme inhibitor activities and cytotoxic effects of 80% ethanol extract of these two species and make a comparative analysis. In accordance with the data obtained, the major component of A. biebersteinii was determined as Cyclododecane (14.47%), while that of A. tinctoria was determined as Phytol (23.15%). A. biebersteinii, which showed moderate activity in terms of antimicrobial activity, produced more active inhibition than A. tinctoria did. Both plants showed high levels of antioxidant activity. The total phenol and total flavonoid contents of A. tinctoria were higher than those of A. biebersteinii. It was determined that there was no significant activity when the extracts were compared with galanthamine, which is the reference drug in terms of enzyme inhibitory activity. When the in vitro anticancer activity of human breast cancer cell line was examined, it was determined that A. tinctoria had a cytotoxic effect at high concentrations (IC50;0.82mg/mL), and A. biebersteinii showed strong cytotoxicity at all concentrations (IC50;<0.0625mg/mL). These two plants of the same family were evaluated in terms of many different biological parameters and it was revealed that A. biebersteinii was more active than A. tinctoria. However, in vivo studies are needed to determine whether these plants can be used as phytotherapeutic agents.

Hypericum L. belongs to the Clusiaceae (= Guttiferae) family. There are 98 species or 119 taxa of Hypericum, 49 of which are endemic in Turkey Flora, and the endemism ratio is 41.18%. Some of these species are used in various diseases externally/internally in the form of infusion, decoction, oleate or ointment in traditional treatment in Turkey. H. heteropyhllum is an endemic species that grows in arid, stony or rocky calcareous areas. In our study, the average plant height and number of branches were determined as 52.48±10.65 cm and 7.85±3.01, respectively in full flowering stage. The average length and width of the oval shaped seeds was 2.3220±0.1524 mm and 0.7933±0.0755 mm, respectively. Seeds of the plant is very small and average seed weight of 1000 seeds is 0.75975±0.0300 g. The highest fresh herb weight (587±251.91 g/plant) was obtained from plants collected at full flowering. The wide variation was observed especially in plant height and number of main branches in the measurements made on plants in the natural area.

Haşhaş (Papaver somniferum L.) hem dünyada hem de ülkemizde önemli bir tıbbi bitkidir. Aynı zamanda tohumlarından yağ elde edilmektedir. Bu çalışmada Yozgat ekolojik koşullarında yetiştiriciliği yapılan iki haşhaş çeşidinin (TMO-1 ve OFİS 8) tohumlarından soğuk presle elde edilen yağların, Transesterifikasyon yöntemi ile 2 aşamalı olarak üretimi gerçekleştirilerek bazı biyodizel özellikleri tespit edilmiş, standartlara uygunluğu incelenmiştir. Elde edilen veriler TMO-1 ve OFİS 8 çeşitleri için sırasıyla; kinematik viskoziteleri (40°C’de) 4.238, 4.139 mm2/s; yoğunlukları, 884.46 kg/m3, 883.82 kg/m3, parlama noktaları, 169°C, 164°C; su muhtevaları, 425.38 mg/kg, 496.39 mg/kg; bulutlanma noktaları, - 3°C, -7°C; akma noktaları, -7°C, -16°C; donma noktaları, -11°C, -21°C; pH’ları, 7, 6.6; sülfat ve kül miktarları, 0.0095 m/m (%), 0.0110 m/m (%), SFTN, -1°C, -2°C olarak tespit edilmiştir. Elde edilen yakıt analiz sonuçlarının EN 14214 ve ASTM D6751 standartlarına uygun olup olmadığı amaçlanmış ve uygunluk gösterdiği görülmüştür. Bu sonuçlara göre haşhaş biyodizelleri B100 ya da daha farklı karışım yakıtların dizel motorlarda kullanılabilecek özelliklere sahip olduğu söylenebilir.