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Within the framework of the valorization of natural resources, a characterization of the biochemical composition of the edible parts of Adansonia Digitata is applied. The antibacterial effect against bacteria is also realized and compared to some synthetic antibiotics.

The biochemical characterization is carried out according to the norms of the French Association of Normalization, methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC International) and gas chromatography (GC). The antibacterial activity is tested by disk diffusion on a solid medium. Parametric tests are used to compare the differences between groups and heat maps to show the expression of the mean inhibitions according to the studied parameters. Multivariate logistic modeling is applied to study the effect of extracts and antibiotics on bacteria.

Biochemical characterization showed a variable importance of proteins, fibers and total sugars, with the presence of highly desired fatty acids such as palmitic, oleic, stearic, linoleic and a-linolenic acids. This gives the tested parts important energy values, especially in the seeds very rich in fatty acids. Methanol proved to be a better extraction solvent than dichloromethane. Antibacterial activity showed that pulp and leaves extracted with methanol had quite similar inhibitory activities against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC29212 and that this effect was better than some antibiotics. Multivariate analysis showed that the leaves had a similar effect to antibiotics, and a significant effect against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC29213.

This important activity and the attractive nutritional value of this plant could justify its extensive use in the traditional pharmacopoeia.

Technological platforms encourage the exchange of knowledge and creation of new ideas that create new value for participating members who pool and combine their knowledge, facilities, tools and skills, thus contributing to the development of innovative solutions. This paper focuses on hackathon platforms, working as open innovation intermediaries, investigating their role and functions and exploring how they encourage the collaboration and the innovativeness among participants in order to boost their innovative new ideas.

The research method is a qualitative design that includes in-depth interviews of ten stakeholders that play different roles in “Hack for Travel,” the case under analysis. It is a hackathon organized entirely online, as a response to the crisis generated by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Findings revealed six processes developed by the hackathon platform used to effectively organize the event and facilitate participants to cooperate and share knowledge in order to boost the spread of innovative ideas. Results identify how hackathons should be organized and through which processes they work as innovation platforms.

This is one of the first attempts to study the increasing phenomenon of hackathons, providing theoretical contribution and practical implications about their role in developing innovation.