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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of alginate as a vehicle to protect coenzyme Q10 in liposomes.

Encapsulation efficiency and stability were conducted at varying temperatures (20, 30, 40°C) for 5 d and at exposure to simulated gastric conditions (pH 2) for 2 h. The content of coenzyme Q10 was determined using HPLC (LC/MS). Cytotoxicity and phagocytosis of mouse macrophages (RAW264.7) was determined.

Results showed that thermostability was strongly improved by alginate complex formation with liposomes. Moreover, alginate could maintain coenzyme Q10 at a significantly higher level in simulated gastric pH for at least 2 h (p<0.00).

This allowed a higher amount of coenzyme Q10 remaining to be absorbed in the small intestine. Alginate not only showed no toxic effect on mouse macrophages but also activated their proliferation and phagocytosis ability.

As a consequence, alginate could be applied as an aid to encapsulation stability and immunostimulating potency.

Stemming from the resource-based view (RBV) approach, this article overcomes the limits of the conventional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis, setting the basis for the model actual–potential, positive–negative, internal–external (APPNIE). This paper enacts a new framework demonstrating how strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of SWOT can be replaced by actual or potential, positive or negative elements, considered in a dynamic way.

The traditional SWOT analysis provides only a partial view of the environment and adopts incorrect terminology that can confuse the user, preventing a clear understanding of the factors affecting the organisation’s situation. The authors developed a new tool to help managers in their decision-making processes.

This study proposes a new tool for assessing the quality of management, resources and environment, which is useful in understanding the economic and social scenario in which a firm is embedded. From a practical point of view, the new tool is applied in the case study, and it shows how managers and students can use it while choosing between alternative options (different strategies, markets, technologies, etc.).

The APPNIE model introduces a new dimension that the SWOT analysis does not consider. Moreover, for each element of the new matrix, the authors propose a plan of action, which is another valuable benefit of the APPNIE model.

This study aims to compare the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of different parts (tip, mid and base portion) of lemongrass leaves for application as a natural ingredient in the functional drink.

Lemongrass leaf powder was prepared from different parts of leaves and evaluated for nutritional composition. Additionally, the extracts of different portions of lemongrass leaves were analyzed for total phenolics, free radical scavenging activities, ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) and antimicrobial activities for their application in food products.

Tip portion of lemongrass leaf anticipated significantly (p < 0.05) higher contents of ash, protein, calcium, potassium and iron i.e. 6.2 mg/100 g, 18 mg/100 g, 340 ppm, 819 ppm and 32 ppm, respectively. Maximum (p < 0.05) phenolics (14.7 mg GAE/100 g), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydroxyl (86.3%) and FRAP (200 mmol/100 g) were observed in lemongrass leaf tip methanolic extracts. Moreover, lemongrass leaf tip hydro-methanolic extracts portrayed maximum zone of inhibition against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus i.e. 16.7 and 18.2 mm, respectively.

This study demonstrated higher antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the tip of lemongrass leaves as compared with mid and base portions, hence suggesting its role in the improvement of physicochemical, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of food products. Consequently, the application of lemongrass methanolic extract up to 10% remarkably enhanced the nutritional value and sensorial acceptance of the beverages.

The present research draws evidence from laboratory analysis of fresh lemongrass grown in Pakistan. The findings suggest that lemongrass methanolic extracts could be used as a nutritionally rich source of antioxidant activity in functional drinks.

Inflammation plays a significant role in incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), whose risk can be reduced through modifying the diet. Considering the importance of incidence of MetS among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), this study aims to determine the relationship between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and MetS in these patients.

This study was performed on 261 adults 35–65 years of age suffering from RA. The patients were among the participants in Ravansar non-communicable disease prospective study. DII was calculated based on food frequency questionnaire. The components of MetS were measured according to the protocol of prospective epidemiological research studies in Iran cohort. Data analysis was carried out using univariate and multivariate logistic regression model by modifying the confounding variables.

In patients with RA, prevalence of MetS was 37.5%. The mean of DII in RA patients with MetS and without MetS was −2.3 ± 1.5 and −2.2 ± 1.6, respectively, with no significant difference between two groups. After modifying the variables of age and gender, the odds of increasing waist circumference (WC) were near 1.9 times greater in the fourth quartile (pro-inflammatory diet) compared to the first quartile of DII (anti-inflammatory diet) (P = 0.03). The odds of developing hypertension was approximately 1.3 times greater in the fourth compared to the first quartile of DII (P = 0.034). The odds of developing MetS increased by 27% in the fourth quartile in comparison to the first one, though this increase was not statistically significant.

In RA patients, with increase in DII score, the WC and blood pressure had increased. The DII had no significant relationship with MetS. Further studies are essential across larger populations to confirm the findings.

The effect of the addition of red palm olein (RPO) as a natural antioxidant to sunflower (SF) on chemical properties and deep-frying oxidative stability of resultant oil during storage.

RPO was added to SF at different levels 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 75 and 100 (w/w), and potato chips were fried in oil blends repeatedly at 180 °C for 2.5 min for five days to evaluate the effect on chemical properties and oxidative stability.

The results revealed that linoleic acid and total polar compound (TPC) contents decreased in all RPO and SF resultant oil after five days of storage. Colour significantly (p = 0.05) decreased, while peroxide and iodine values were significantly lowered during storage. The oxidative stability increased significantly in the resultant oil. However, an increase in free fatty acid (FFA) before frying significantly reduced with repeated frying of resultant oil during storage. RPO (5–75%) therefore retards oxidative rancidity in the resultant oil after repeated deep frying and storage.

SF oil is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids but prone to oxidation upon heating and storage. RPO is an important ingredient used in industrial frying rich in phytonutrients and a better replacement to synthetic antioxidants. This study indicated that supplementing SF oil with RPO may be recommended to improve the oxidative stability of oils during frying.

Clinical evidence has suggested that alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), a potent antioxidant, seems to have some effects on inflammatory process. However, these results are equivocal. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nature of association between ALA and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level by pooling the results from clinical trial studies.

Relevant studies were identified by systematic literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Sciences and Cochrane library up to September 2016 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the impact of ALA supplementation on CRP. The pooled data were summarized as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95 per cent confidence interval (CI). Effect sizes of eligible studies were pooled using random- or fixed-effects (the DerSimonian–Laird estimator) depending on the results of heterogeneity tests.

Of 212 papers, 15 were eligible RCTs according to inclusion criteria. The selected studies comprised 1,408 cases and 457 controls. The dose of ALA supplement ranged from 300 to 1,200 mg, and the duration of follow-up was from 1 to 48 weeks. ALA supplementation significantly reduced the levels of circulating CRP (WMD: −0.088, 95 per cent CI: −0.131, −0.045, p < 0.001) with significant heterogeneity (I² = 73.4 per cent, p < 0.001). Populations with age younger than 50 years (PMD: −0.060 mg/dl), receiving doses less than 600 mg/day (PMD: −0.057 mg/dl), having cardiovascular disease (PMD: −0.105 mg/dl), hemodialysis (PMD: −0.209 mg/dl), diabetes (PMD: −0.021 mg/dl) and otherwise healthy subjects (PMD: −0.045 mg/dl) were sources of heterogeneity.

This meta-analysis of RCTs suggests that ALA supplementation seems to significantly reduce circulating CRP level.

Collaboration with universities is an important innovation strategy for enterprises. However, currently very little research has focused on how such university-industry collaborative innovation activities should be managed. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

This paper introduces the university-industry collaborative innovation practices of Zhejiang NHU Company in China. By using a case study as the method, this paper aims to illustrate the mechanism of university-industry collaborative innovation and how to manage the collaborative innovation activities efficiently.

Zhejiang NHU Company established a university-industry collaborative innovation link through three innovation platforms: the technology R&D center, the ZJU-NHU joint-research center, and the national engineer center. Zhejiang NHU Company manages its collaborative relationships with universities through this innovation network.

NHU Company managed the collaborative relationship efficiently with the institutions, representing an effective degree of university-industry collaborative innovation management.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of different times and freezing temperatures on the antioxidant activity of raw human milk (HM) and the impact of light by different packaging on retinol level and the antioxidant activity of pasteurized HM.

Donor milks were homogenized to form the pool of the experimental study characterized by the evaluation of the effects of time (0, 2, 4, 8 and 15 days) freezing temperatures (−3°C, −8°C and −18°C) and the interference of the type of packaging on the antioxidant activity and retinol levels of HM.

The existing studies do not reveal the real impact of HM storage conditions adopted by human milk banks (HMB) in Brazil on their compounds, mainly in relation to the effects of temperature and freezing time and the incidence of light on retinol levels and antioxidant activity. In view of the already documented importance of these compounds for the growth, development and health of children, it is extremely important to assess their stability according to the procedures adopted by the banks. It has been observed in this study that lower freezing temperatures (−18°C) further preserve the antioxidant activity. It was found that the amber and transparent vials wrapped with aluminum foil allowed for greater retinol stability of HM, with values of 2.501±0.757 µmol/L and 4.991±0.825 µmol/L, respectively. On the contrary, there was no significant influence on antioxidant activity.

It is suggested that HMB store milk at lower temperatures and use glass jars that block the passage of light.