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The evaluation of the effect of bleaching on monomer release from two composite resins was performed by bleaching two nanohybrid composite resins Filtek Z550 and Tetric N-Ceram using two bleaching products Whiteness HP Maxx and Vivastyle. In total, 20 samples were made from each composite resin from which four groups were fabricated (two for each bleaching product). The samples were stored in a 75% ethanol solution, and the solutions were renewed after 1, 7, and 28 days. The monomer release was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance and least significant difference multiple comparison test (α = 0.05). Monomers were found to be released from both composite resins. The amounts of monomer released were found to decrease over time (P < 0.05); however, the resins were not affected by bleaching, and the released monomers were well below toxic doses.

Salvia tomentosa is a common medicinal plant, and it is consumed as an herbal tea in some Mediterranean countries. It has been extensively collected from its natural habitat, and careless collection has caused the recent extinction of some plants. The present study was undertaken to cultivate S. tomentosa and compare the phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of wild and cultivated plants. Total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity of S. tomentosa ranged between 49.27 and 66.15 mg GAE g -1 dry weight (dw), 36.27 and 40.83 mg catechin g -1 dw, and 1.77 and 2.29 mg dw mg -1 DPPH, respectively. Total phenolic content of the cultivated samples was higher than that of wild samples. Seventeen different phenolic compounds, comprising 7 phenolic acids and 10 flavonoids, were identified and quantified in S. tomentosa. As with the many Salvia species, rosmarinic acid was quantified as the main component of S. tomentosa. It was followed by caffeic acid, morin, p-coumaric acid, and myricetin. Chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, morin, kaempferol, hesperetin, and apigenin were increased through cultivation; gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rutin, catechin, and epicatechin were decreased. During the 6-month storage only caffeic acid changed significantly.

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Soapwort extract is a traditional additive, produced by extracting soapwort roots [Gypsophila bicolor (Freyn et Sint.) Grossh] in boiling water. It is used for color, volume, and texture improvements of several foods. In this study, the optimum extraction conditions and membrane concentration for soapwort extract were determined to produce enriched soapwort powder as a stable and efficient additive in place of the traditional extract. The optimum extraction conditions were determined by using response surface method as following: root to water 1:10, average particle size 4.5 mm, and temperature at 95 °C and extraction time for 3 hr. This extract has been enriched with saponin via reverse osmosis up to 20% concentration of soluble solids. Soapwort powder, includes 4% moisture, produced from the soapwort concentrate by using the spray dryer. Some physicochemical properties of the powder were determined as 46.3 g saponin/100 g (dm), 0.36 water activity, and 7.74 μm average particle size distribution. Additionally, bulk density, spray drying recovery yield (dm), and water solubility were determined as 469 kg/m3, 87%, and 94%, respectively. The diluted soapwort concentrate and reconstituted soapwort powder were tested in production of Turkish delight and halvah in comparison to commercial soapwort extract at the same soluble solid content. Results showed that there were no statistical differences on the color and the appearance scores of all Turkish delight samples. Additionally, halvah samples produced with the reconstituted soapwort powder were the most preferred samples in sensorial analysis and these samples were determined as the best considering the structural values. Practical applications Soapwort extract is used as an additive in the production of traditional foods such as delight and halvah. However, this extract is susceptible to microbial proliferation, and leading to negative taste and odor problems. In addition to these problems, use of traditional extracts also cause quality losses due to the lack of standardization. New soapwort extract powder enriched by saponin has been developed by using optimized extraction, enrichment, and drying processes. In practical point of view, this product is preferably used in many food formulations such as halvah and delight in the food industry. This product has potential to be used in the cosmetics and chemical industry as well for different products. The improved production method can be also a model for industrial production.

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Red pepper is used as raw material in industry and as a seasoning in various foods. In this study, the cadmium, lead and arsenic content of 33 red pepper samples sold in open and sealed packages on different markets was investigated in terms of their synthetic color components, aflatoxin amounts and toxic elements, which have been declared as cancerous by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the results, synthetic colorants, arsenic and cadmium were not detected in any of the samples, while lead was detected in 11 samples and aflatoxins were detected in eight of the samples. As a consequence of these investigations, a health risk analysis was carried out by taking into account the amount of consumption in the region. The B1 aflatoxin content in the samples, according to daily consumption data, exceeded the limits set by the European Commission (EC) by almost 150%.

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