Segmental superficial parotidectomy in the surgical treatment of benign parotid tumours.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of segmental superficial parotidectomy in the surgical treatment of benign parotid tumours. METHODS: Patients who underwent parotidectomy for benign primary parotid tumours limited to the superficial lobe were retrospectively reviewed. Tumour location, size, surgical procedure, follow-up period, complications and recurrence rates were noted. RESULTS: The study included a total of 39 patients: 22 underwent segmental superficial parotidectomy (group 1) and 17 underwent superficial parotidectomy (group 2). The mean follow-up period was 41.79 months (range, 13-85 months). There were no recurrences in either group during the follow-up period. No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of tumour size, complications or recurrence rates. CONCLUSION: Segmental superficial parotidectomy is a safe and effective option in the surgical treatment of benign parotid tumours.

Screening the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the lichens Parmelia saxatilis, Platismatia glauca, Ramalina pollinaria, Ramalina polymorpha and Umbilicaria nylanderiana.

The aim of this study is to investigate in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the methanol extracts of Parmelia saxatilis (L) Ach., Platismatia glauca (L.) W.L. Club. & C.F. Culb., Ramalina pollinaria (Wesstr.) Ach., Ramalina polymorpha (Liljeblad) Ach. and Umbilicaria nylanderiana (Zahlbr.) H. Magn. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by two separate methods: scavenging of free radical DPPH and the inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation. Extracts of Parmelia saxatilis, Platismatia glauca., Ramalina pollinaria and Ramalina polymorpha did not exert any activity in both assays, whereas those of Umbilicaria nylanderiana provided 50% inhibition at 400.2 microg/ml concentration in the former and gave 53% inhibition at 2g/l concentration. Total phenolic constituents of extracts from lichen species tested (P. saxatilis, P. glauca, R. pollinaria, R. polymorpha and U. nylanderiana) were 1.0% (w/w), 1.1% (w/w), 1.0% (w/w), 0.8% (w/w) and (3.0% w/w), respectively (as gallic acid equivalent); implying that the observed activity could be related to the amount of polar phenolics. Extracts were also found to possess antimicrobial activity against some test bacteria and fungi and yeast.

In vitro antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities of the essential oil and methanol extracts of herbal parts and callus cultures of Satureja hortensis L.

The present study was designated to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil, obtained by using a Clevenger distillation apparatus, water soluble (polar) and water insoluble (nonpolar) subfractions of the methanol extracts from aerial parts of Satureja hortensis L. plants, and methanol extract from calli established from the seeds using Gamborg's B5 basal media supplemented with indole-3-butyric acid (1.0 ppm), 6-benzylaminopurine (N(6)-benzyladenine) (1.0 ppm), and sucrose (2.5%). The antimicrobial test results showed that the essential oil of S. hortensis had great potential antimicrobial activities against all 23 bacteria and 15 fungi and yeast species tested. In contrast, the methanol extract from callus cultures and water soluble subfraction of the methanol extract did not show antimicrobial activities, but the nonpolar subfraction had antibacterial activity against only five out of 23 bacterial species, which were Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus fecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, and Streptococcus pyogenes. Antioxidant studies suggested that the polar subfractions of the methanol extract of intact plant and methanol extract of callus cultures were able to reduce the stable free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl to the yellow-colored diphenylpicrylhydrazine. In this assay, the strongest effect was observed for the tissue culture extract, with an IC(50) value of 23.76 +/- 0.80 microgram/mL, which could be compared with the synthetic antioxidant agent butylated hydroxytoluene. On the other hand, linoleic acid oxidation was 95% inhibited in the presence of the essential oil while the inhibition was 90% with the chloroform subfraction of the intact plant. The chemical composition of a hydrodistilled essential oil of S. hortensis was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC)/flame ionization detection (FID) and a GC-mass spectrometry system. A total 22 constituents representing 99.9% of the essential oil were identified by GC-FID analaysis. Thymol (29.0%), carvacrol (26.5%), gamma-terpinene (22.6%), and p-cymene (9.3%) were the main components.

Viruses Infecting Cucurbits in Samsun, Turkey.

To detect cucurbit viruses and determine their incidence, surveys were conducted in 45 fields in 18 villages in Samsun province, Turkey from July to October in 1999 and 2000. Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were detected in cucurbits after analyzing 165 samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. WMV, ZYMV, and CMV were detected in 53.9, 38.8, and 20.6% of samples tested, respectively. ZYMV and WMV infections were detected in all cucurbit species, but CMV was not detected in any samples of watermelon and pumpkin.