A mutagenicity and cytotoxicity study of limonium effusum aqueous extracts by Allium, Ames and MTT tests.

Nowadays plants or plant extracts have become very important for alternative medicine. Plants and their extracts have many therapeutical advantages but some of them are potentially toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic and teratogenic. Root, stem and leafparts of Limonium effusum were used in this study and this species is an endemic species for Turkey.

Evaluation of forensic perinatal and neonatal autopsies in Istanbul.

Objective: Autopsy findings play an important role in prevention of perinatal and neonatal deaths. Therefore, we attempted to reveal demographic and forensic features of these deaths in Turkey.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed autopsy reports for 184 cases of perinatal deaths released from Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute Morgue between 2000 and 2002 and investigated demographic and medico-legal features of the cases.

Influence of dietary oils on liver and blood lipid peroxidation.

Objective: Diets high in unsaturated fatty acids have been recommended to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, these lipids are more susceptible to lipid peroxidation than saturated fatty acids. The aim of the present study described herein was to investigate the effects of dietary oils (differing in their degree of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids) on liver and blood lipid peroxidation in chicks.

The Salmonella mutagenicity of water and sediments from the Porsuk River in Turkey.

In this study, water and sediments from the Porsuk River were investigated for their potential mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 strains by performing Ames test (plate incorporation assay) without metabolic activation. Different columns of XAD 4 and XAD 16 were used to fractionate the water samples. Positive results in XAD 4 extracts of water samples were obtained for TA 98 in two of these stations.

A transmission electron microscope investigation of the effect of lead acetate on the hepatopancreatic ceca of Gammarus pulex.

The freshwater Amphipod Gammarus pulex is a sensitive indicator organism for environmental contamination. In this study, effects of heavy metal lead acetate were investigated by using electron microscopy techniques. Control group was not expose to lead acetate but experimental group was for 96 h.