Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae
Article ID: 9011
DOI: 10.5586/asbp.9011
Publication History
Received: 2021-05-25
Accepted: 2021-09-27
Published: 2021-12-16
Handling Editor
Łukasz Łuczaj; University of
Rzeszów, Poland;
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-
5272-4826
Authors’ Contributions
FS and HA designed the study;
MMB and HA conducted all the
feldwork; HA and FS wrote all
sections of the manuscript;
MMB conducted the interviews;
HA and MMB identifed the
plant specimens; FS, HA, and
MMB constructed the database,
analyzed the data, and
generated all the tables, graphs,
and map of the study area; MK
and BB studied the biochemical
analyses of Gezo molasses; and
all authors contributed to the
discussion section of the
manuscript during the revisions
Funding
Authors acknowledge TÜBİTAK
(project No. 120Z165) and the
Harran University Research
Funding Unit (project No.
19098) for providing funds for
the research.
Competing Interests
No competing interests have
been declared.
Copyright Notice
© The Author(s) 2021. This is an
open access article distributed
under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License,
which permits redistribution,
commercial and
noncommercial, provided that
the article is properly cited.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER in ETHNOBOTANY
Ethnobotanical and Chemical Studies on
Gezo Molasses From Quercus brantii Lindl.
Acorns in Turkey
Fatih Satıl
1
, Hasan Akan
2*
, Mehmet Karaaslan
2
,
Mehmet Maruf Balos
2
, Bülent Başyiğit
2
1
Balıkesir University, Turkey
2
Harran University, Turkey
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: hasanakan1972@gmail.com
Abstract
Oak molasses, called “Gezo,” have been produced by the local people of
Southeastern Anatolia. In this study, the ethnobotanical characteristics,
production stages, health effects, and chemical composition of Gezo were
determined. Traditional Gezo molasses is produced from the acorn of Quercus
brantii Lindl. e survey was carried out in seven provinces with large
populations. Molasses samples were collected from local producers in the region
alongside the local names, usage, sorting, and grading methods used by the local
people. e total contents of phenolics and favanoids were found to vary between
the range of 1.60–2.56 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) and 0.62–0.72 mg rutin
(RE) per g of Gezo molasses, respectively. Gezo displayed scavenging activity
against DPPH radicals ranging from 7.57 to 9.44 μM Trolox/g. e CUPRAC
assay results showed that molasses also possessed reducing power activity with a
value of 8.57–10.20 μM Trolox/g. Gezo is typically consumed by local people as
a breakfast food. However, it is also used for medical purposes to treat bronchitis,
cough, asthma, and diabetes. e region’s oak species are used by locals for fuel,
feed, handicras, and games.
Keywords
ethnobotany; traditional molasses; medicinal plants; Anatolia
1. Introduction
Molasses, which has been produced for a long time in Turkey, is a popular traditional
Turkish food. e production technique of traditionally produced molasses has not
changed much over the course of time in Turkey. ere are numerous types of
molasses with different names and favors, structures, textures, and appearances,
with some variations in production techniques across different regions of Turkey
(Karababa & Develi, 2005).
Molasses is most oen made from grapes, but there are also local forms of molasses
made from other materials, including mulberries, plums, apples, pears, sugar beets,
watermelon, sorghum, and pomegranates. As a traditional product, molasses is
produced by using fruits that are primarily grown within the local region (Keleş
et al., 2019; Tüzün et al., 2020). Pekmez, a type of concentrated fruit juice, is
produced from a variety of fruits, such as grapes, mulberries, fgs, and apples, and is
an important source of dietary carbohydrates, minerals, and organic acids (Karababa
& Develi, 2005).
Oak molasses are obtained from acorn secretions and oak leaves (Mason & Nesbitt,
2009). Oak molasses has been produced from Quercus brantii Lindl. and locally
named as “Gezo molasses” by the natives of Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey (Bursal &
Boğa, 2018). Quercus brantii is distributed in southern and western Turkey.
Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae / 2021 / Volume 90 / Article 9011
Publisher: Polish Botanical Society
1