More than one hundred species of Eriophyoidea have been recorded hitherto from Turkey. Within the last decade, a large plant survey was carried out in order to investigate the eriophyoid fauna present in Turkey, with particular emphasis on species affecting weeds and ornamental plants. In addition, the Turkish literature has been examined for previous records of eriophyoid mites. New species, P...

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), which is known to have a variety of terpene-hydroxylating activities, was screened for a P450 mono-oxygenase to convert (+)-valencene to (+)-nootkatone. A novel P450 cDNA was identified in a chicory root EST library. Co-expression of the enzyme with a valencene synthase in yeast, led to formation of trans-nootkatol, cis-nootkatol and (+)-nootkatone. The novel enz...

In young chicory plantlets [Cichorium intybus L. Witloof cv. Flash), nitrate assimilation takes place mainly in the roots. Nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was measured in roots deprived of shoot control by excision and transferred into a sucrose-containing medium. Such a treatment resulted in a drop of about 60% of NRA within 3 h. The level of NR protein decreased after 12 h and the level of N...

A "novel" protocol is presented for easy and reliable estimation of soluble hydroxycinnamate levels in Cichorium intybus L. leaf tissue in large-scale experiments. Samples were standardized by punching 6 discs per leaf, and hydroxycinnamates were extracted by submerging the discs in 80% ethanol with 5% acetic acid for at least 48 h in the darkness at 4°C. Residual dry mass of the discs was used...

Pectins are major components of the primary plant cell wall. They can be both methylesterified and acetylesterified and de-esterification occurs by specific esterases. Proteins extracted by NaCl treatment from root cell walls of two chicory varieties (Cichorium intybus L. cv. Nausica and Arancha) sampled in an experimental field every 2 weeks between July 2002 and January 2003 were analysed by ...

Organic dairy farmers often introduce alternative pasture species, such as chicory (Cichorium intybus) and narrow-leaved plantain (Plantago lanceolata), to their swards because of their higher mineral contents, yet they are concerned about the presence of weed species such as docks (Rumex spp.) and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). The mineral content and nutritive value of both desired and les...

Aim of the study was to monitor changes of genotoxic activity of urban air caused by an incinerator and a petrochemical plant in Tradescantia micronucleus (Trad-MCN) and pollen fertility assays with wild plants (Chelidonium majus, Clematis vitalba, Cichorium intybus, Linaria vulgaris, Robinia pseudoacacia). While in the first sampling period (1997-2000) significantly (on average 80%) more MN we...

Major chloroplast pigments in five leafy vegetables (chicory-Cichorium intybus, cv. 'Anivip' and cv. 'Monivip', dandelion-Taraxacum officinale, garden rocket-Eruca sativa and wild rocket-Diplotaxis tenuifolia), commonly consumed in Mediterranean countries, have been separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a reversed-phase column. Three classes of pigments were identified a...

Red or variegated chicory (Cichorium intybus L., 2n=2x=18) native to, and very extensively cultivated in North-Eastern Italy as a leafy vegetable, locally called “radicchio”, includes different types which represent valuable high-quality crops. The five major types of radicchio cultivated in the Veneto region were investigated by PCR-derived molecular markers (e.g. RAPDs, AP-PCRs, I-SSRs and AF...

Five species of eriophyoid mites were identified during surveys of mite fauna associated with plant species of the family Compositae from Southwest of East Azerbaijan province during 2010 and 2011. Two of them, Aceria virgatae n. sp. from Centaurea virgata Lam. and Aceria xeranthenzis n. sp. from Xeranthemumn squarrosum Boiss., were found to be new to science. No damage symptoms were observed o...