Publications by authors named "Cengiz Sarikurkcu"

Since is a genus with many important medicinal plant species, the present work aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition and some biological activities of . The methanolic fractions of four organs (stems, flowers, leaves, root and whole plant) were quantified and identified by Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) analysis. Hesperidin, hyperoside, -hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid and -coumaric acid were identified as main compounds among the extracts.

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  • Onosma riedliana, a traditionally used plant, was studied for its therapeutic potential, marking the first report on its phenolic profile and biological activity.
  • The methanolic extract had the highest phenolic content and demonstrated strong antioxidant properties, mainly due to compounds like hesperidin and luteolin.
  • The plant's extracts also showed varied enzyme inhibition, with ethyl acetate affecting cholinesterase and tyrosinase, while the methanolic extract inhibited carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes, indicating its potential for pharmaceutical applications.
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Molnupiravir (EIDD-2801) (MLN) is an oral antiviral drug for COVID-19 treatment, being integrated into viral RNA through RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Upon ingestion, MLN is transformed into two active metabolites: β-d-N-hydroxycytidine (NHC) (EIDD-1931) in the host plasma, and EIDD-1931-triphosphate (MTP) within the host cells. However, recent studies provide increasing evidence of MLN's interactions with off-target proteins beyond the viral genome, suggesting that the complete mechanisms of action of MLN remain unclear.

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Boiss. is a rare desert plant known to be a promising source of bioactive compounds. In this paper, we report for the first time the phytochemical composition and biological activities of hydroalcoholic extract by using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) technique.

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Tasteful morels ( sp.) are one of the most popular mushrooms, both economically and scientifically. Due to their beneficial constituents, they are classified as functional foods.

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The purpose of this study was to determine Fe, Cd, Cr, Se, P, Cu, Mn, Zn, Al, Ca, Mg, and K contents of some edible (Chlorophyllum rhacodes, Clavariadelphus truncatus, Clitocybe nebularis, Hydnum repandum, Hygrophorus pudorinus, Infundibulicybe gibba, Lactarius deliciosus, L. piperatus, L. salmonicolor, Macrolepiota mastoidea, Russula grata, Suillus granulatus, and Tricholoma imbricatum), inedible (Amanita pantherina, Geastrum triplex, Gloeophyllum sepiarium, Hypholoma fasciculare, Phellinus vorax, Pholiota limonella, Russula anthracina, and Tapinella atrotomentosa), and poisonous mushroom species (Amanita pantherina and Hypholoma fasciculare) collected from Ilgaz Mountain National Park (Western Black Sea, Turkey).

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  • - The study investigates how certain flavonols, specifically robinin (ROB) and gossypetin (GOS), interact with key targets related to COVID-19, including the virus's receptor binding domain and important proteases, showing their potential efficacy against the virus.
  • - ROB and GOS displayed strong binding affinities and stability in simulations, with lower binding free energy values indicating better interaction with the virus's targets; however, they do have some violations of Lipinski's rule regarding druglikeness.
  • - Although both compounds showed no significant toxicity and demonstrated potential therapeutic benefits for COVID-19, further testing is needed to assess their effects on liver enzymes and cellular metabolism before they can be considered for treatment.
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  • Covid-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in over 4.3 million deaths worldwide and the virus continues to mutate, leading to variants like E484K, N501Y, and the South Africa triple mutant that evade immunity.
  • This study aimed to analyze how these spike protein variants interact with the ACE2 receptor compared to the wild-type, using advanced computational modeling and simulations to understand binding affinities and stability.
  • Findings revealed that these variants bind more strongly to ACE2 than the wild-type, with the E484K and triple mutants being particularly stable, indicating important implications for vaccine efficacy and treatment strategies.
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species have been used as a dye for hundreds of years due to their dark red pigments. These species have also been used by mankind in the treatment of various diseases since ancient times. This work analyzed the phytochemical composition in methanol extract of two endemic species ( and ).

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  • Genus is a large plant family with around 300 species, 81 of which are found in Turkey, with 51 being unique to the region (endemic).
  • The dominant polyphenols in the studied plant extracts include chlorogenic acid, apigenin-7-glucoside, and verbascoside, identified using LC-MS/MS technology.
  • The extracts exhibit strong antioxidant properties and inhibit enzymes related to skin disorders and type II diabetes, showing potential for use in pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics.
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The aim of this study was to determine the element content of wild edible and inedible mushroom species (Agaricus campestris, Armillaria ostoyae, Boletus reticulatus, Bondarzewia mesenterica, Bovistella utriformis, Cantharellus cibarius, Marasmius oreades, Megacollybia platyphylla, Meripilus giganteus, Neoboletus erythropus, Panellus stipticus, Phaeotremella foliacea, Pleurotus ostreatus, Podoscypha multizonata, Russula aurea, R. chloroides, R. virescens, T.

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Copper oxychloride gained great importance due to its broad-spectrum antifungal action to combat various fungal diseases of plants. However, excess quantity of cupric fungicides on plants causes enzymatic changes and toxic effects. Thus, the current study was aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of copper oxychloride on Allium cepa root cells.

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Wild edible mushrooms are very popular for both their flavors and nutritional values. However, some mushroom species can be harmful to human health as they accumulate some elements in excessive amounts. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, Se, and Zn of some wild edible (Agaricus arvensis, A.

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The ability of mushrooms to accumulate heavy metals has increased concerns over their toxic effects on human health in recent years. The aim of this study was to determine the metal contents (Zn, Fe, Co, Mn, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Cd), daily intake of metal (DIM) and health risk index (HRI) values of nineteen different mushroom species (edible, inedible, and poisonous) collected from Uzungol, Trabzon (Turkey). Although the area where mushrooms were collected has the status of "Natural Park," there has been an excessive human settlement in recent years.

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It is known that some Campanula species are traditionally used because of their anti-allergic, spasmolytic, antiphlogistic, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. This study was designed to evaluate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, α-amylase, and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts of Campanula macrostachya Waldst. & Kit.

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The aim of this study was to determine the essential element (Zn, Ca, K, Fe, Na, and Mg), essential trace element (Co, Mn, Cr, and Cu), and non-essential element (Pb, Ni, and Cd) contents of eight different Russula species (R. risigallina (Batsch) Sacc., R.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected more than thirty five million people worldwide and caused nearly 1 million deaths as of October 2020. The microorganism causing COVID-19 was named as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or 2019-nCoV). The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions of twenty-three phytochemicals belonging to different flavonoid subgroups with the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike glycoprotein of 2019-nCoV, and cellular proteases [transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), cathepsin B and L (CatB/L)].

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on the biological and chemical properties of various parts of a specific plant subsp., highlighting its traditional use in folk medicine, particularly in Turkey.
  • Different parts of the plant (leaves, flowers, stems, etc.) were tested for antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory effects, with leaves showing the strongest antioxidant properties, while flowers excelled in metal chelation.
  • Key phenolic compounds like hyperoside and apigenin were identified, suggesting that this plant could be a valuable source of natural bioactive agents for use in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics.
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As of June 2020, the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) caused by the 2019 new type coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infected more than 7,000,000 people worldwide and caused the death of more than 400,000 people. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular interactions between monoterpenoids and spike protein of 2019-nCoV together with the cellular proteases [transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), cathepsin B (CatB), and cathepsin L (CatL)]. As a result of the relative binding capacity index (RBCI) analysis, carvone was found to be the most effective molecule against all targets when binding energy and predicted (theoretical) IC50 data were evaluated together.

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The aim of this study is to analyze Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Co, Cd, Pb, and Ni contents of Cyclocybe cylindracea, Armillaria mellea, Bjerkandera adusta, Rheubarbariboletus armeniacus, Coprinellus disseminatus, C. micaceus, C. comatus, Inonotus hispidus, Lepista nuda, Leucoagaricus leucothites, Pleurotus ostreatus, Cerioporus squamosus, Schizophyllum commune, Scleroderma verrucosum, and Trametes trogii collected from the Ankara University Besevler 10th Year Campus (Turkey), an area where human settlement and traffic are intense.

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The objective of this study was to quantify the phenolic compounds and to evaluate and compare the biological activities of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc), methanolic (MeOH) and aqueous extracts from the Micromeria nervosa aerial parts, based on their antioxidant activity and enzymatic inhibition. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were calculated and individual compo3unds were detected using LC-ESI-MS/MS. The antioxidant activity was determined using six different assays while enzymatic activity was determined by α-amylase and tyrosinase enzyme inhibition.

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  • Mushrooms are great sources of nutrients but can also accumulate harmful metals like Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), and Lead (Pb) that pose health risks.
  • The study focused on measuring the metal contents in mushrooms from non-polluted areas in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey, finding varying levels of metals in different species.
  • While some mushrooms had daily intake levels below safe limits, others showed high risk values for specific metals, particularly Cd, Co, and Pb, indicating a need for caution in consumption.
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Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites that are found ubiquitously in plants, fruits, and vegetables. Many studies have shown that regular consumption of these compounds could have a positive effect on our health. The aim of this study was to compare the phytochemical contents of the water extracts from three different plants used as folk remedies in Turkey: , , and .

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, also named "ironwort," "mountain tea," or "shepherd's tea," is a genus of flowering plants used as herbal medicine in traditional Mediterranean-area medicine systems, and these plants are generally consumed as a herbal tea. Its use as herbal tea and in traditional herbal medicine is quite popular. There are currently few studies on L.

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Medicinal mushrooms have long tradition in Asia, and recently they began to be consumed in Europe as well. Among hundreds of species, only a few of them are intensively investigated, i.e.

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