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This study aims to elucidate the relationship between nutritional status and various biochemical parameters and migraine symptoms.

The disability of individuals aged 19–64 years old with episodic migraine (n = 80, female n = 64, male n = 16) was assessed with the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale, and migraine severity was evaluated with the visual analog scale. The metabolic risks of individuals were determined by analyzing body composition, various biochemical parameters and anthropometric measurements. Nutrients and energy intake levels were measured using the food consumption recording form.

Body muscle mass percentage was correlated directly with migraine severity and inversely with the attack duration (r = 0.26, p = 0.01 and r = −0.29, p = 0.007, respectively). High bone mass was associated with low attack frequency (r = −0.23, p = 0.03), while high body fat percentage was associated with long attack duration (r = 0.28, p = 0.009). A significant direct correlation was found between total cholesterol level and migraine severity and attack duration (r = 0.25, p = 0.02) and between triglyceride level and attack duration (r = 0.26, p = 0.01). There was a direct correlation between serum thyroxine (T4) level and migraine attack severity (r = 0.23, p = 0.03). There was a significant direct correlation between energy and carbohydrate intake and migraine severity (r = 0.26, p = 0.02 and r = 0.30, p = 0.009, respectively), protein and vitamin B2 intake and attack frequency (r = 0.24, p = 0.03 and r = 0.23, p = 0.04, respectively) and an inverse correlation between monounsaturated fatty acid, fiber and vitamin C intake and migraine severity score (r = −0.35, p = 0.002; r = −0.25, p = 0.02; and r = −0.41, p = 0.001, respectively).

The findings confirm that nutritional status, body composition and some biochemical parameters can affect the course of migraine.

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.

Bacteria were unknown to man until the invention of the optical microscope and were first observed, along with Protozoa, by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1675. However, they were not scientifically studied during the following 200 years and indeed as a science, Bacteriology is only a little more than 100 years old. Pasteur and Koch laid the basis of the modern science, and the late 1800s saw the discovery, description, and formal classification of most of the species of bacteria recognized to‐day. It is a very rare event now to discover a ‘new’ bacterium: the aetiological agent of Legionnaires' Disease, Legionella pneumophila, is, however, one such example, much in the current news.

The composition and properties of milk are considerably important for dairy farmers, manufacturers and consumers. Despite the significant role of bovine milk in Iranian dairy products, there is little information about the effect of production season and location on the physicochemical properties of pasteurized milk as a final product. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of seasonal, geographical and product brand variations on the chemical components and physical properties of Iranian pasteurized bovine milk.

A total of 400 samples of pasteurized milk were obtained during a 12-month period, from April 2014 to March 2015, using random sampling. Chemical components (protein, fat, lactose, dry matter and solids-not-fat) and physical properties (freezing point, extraneous water content, titratable acidity, density and pH) of the collected samples were analyzed. A one-way ANOVA was used to perform the statistical analysis of data, and results were presented as the mean ± standard deviation.

It was found that the biochemical constituents and physical properties of pasteurized milk samples were linked to seasonal and geographical variation parameters. The milk sampled during spring and summer contained significantly less fat, protein and solids-not-fat (p < 0.05) than samples in autumn and winter. Also, samples in spring had a significantly higher (p < 0.05) extraneous water (0.8 per cent) compared to milk sampled in winter (−0.4 per cent). Samples in Maragheh and Mianeh contained the highest level of fat (2.82 per cent) and protein (3.09 per cent) content in the province. The sampled milk from the south (Mianeh and Hashtrud) and the northwest (Marand) had also significantly higher (p < 0.01) freezing points than the other areas. No significant differences (p > 0.01) were found in physicochemical properties in different product brands of the milk samples.

Seasonal and geographical parameters are crucial factors in the diversity of physicochemical parameters of commercial pasteurized milk. In this study, unlike the other studies, differences in milk product brand were not significant. Further research will be needed to assess other factors such as the effect of management practices and feeding strategies on farms.

The present study aims to determine the proximate and mineral composition of important coldwater food fishes in the North Eastern Indian upland region to assess their nutritional quality.

The paper is of original work and the analyses were performed using AOAC (1990). Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and determined by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test using SPSS (Version 19).

Crude protein levels ranged from 16-20 per cent, crude fat (CF) 9.60-1.54 per cent and ash 3.5-0.99 per cent. Moisture content was in the range of 71-78 per cent. The lowest moisture content was observed in Semiplotus semiplotus and highest in Labeo dero. Sodium, potassium and calcium content ranged from 92-309, 692-1435, 467-2021 mg/100g, respectively. Maximum concentration of potassium was found in Labeo dero followed by Labeo pangusia. Selenium was most abundant in L. dero, Labeo dyocheilus, Sanguina sanguine, Barilius bendelisis, Garra mullya, L. pangusia and Neolissochilus hexagonolepis. The maximum level of iron was evidenced in Tor tor.

The results obtained revealed that all the ten studied fishes are rich sources of nutrients including protein, macro and micro-minerals, which will be a healthy addition to human diet and will act as a ready reference for the nutritionists and other stakeholders.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the efficiency of a duckweed pond in the polishing of a stabilization pond effluent, as well as quantify its biomass production. Once an adequate destination is given to the produced biomass, the wastewater treatment plant can work in a sustainable and integrated way.

The duckweed pond consisted of a tank with volume 0.44 m³, operating in continuous flow with an outflow of 0.12 m³/day and hydraulic retention time of 3.8 days. Effluent samples were collected before and after the treatment, with analyzes made: daily-pH, dissolved oxygen and temperature; twice a week – total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and chemical oxygen demand (COD); and weekly – total solids (TS) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD₅). The duckweeds were collected each for seven days for its production quantification.

The highest efficiency of TN, TP, COD, BOD₅ and TS removal were of 74.67, 66.18, 88.12, 91.14 and 48.9 percent, respectively. The highest biomass production rate was 10.33 g/m²/day in dry mass.

There was great variation in biomass production, which may be related to the stabilization pond effluent conditions. The evaluation of the effluent composition, which will be treated with duckweeds, is recommended.

The evaluated treatment system obtained positive results for the reduction in the analyzed variables concentration, being an efficient technology and with operational simplicity for the domestic effluent polishing.

The motivation of this work was to bring a simple system of treatment and to give value to a domestic wastewater treatment system in a way that, at the same time the effluent polluter level is reduced and it is also possible to produce biomass during the treatment process.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the content of bioactive pigments in coloured callus of Azadirachta indica and to understand the correlation between the callus colours with their bioactive constituents, antioxidant properties and cytotoxicity. These assessments will yield valuable insight into the use of in vitro-derived pigments for possible use as functional natural colourants.

In this study, the authors have successfully developed a protocol to produce leaf-derived callus of various colours with enhanced content of bioactive pigments in A. indica through plant tissue culture. Comparative analysis of the pigments content (chlorophyll, carotenoid, phenolics and anthocyanins) in the coloured callus was conducted, followed by evaluation of its bioactive properties. The antioxidant properties against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals, ferric reducing antioxidant power and cytotox activities of the coloured callus extracts were also reported.

Callus of various colours were successfully produced in A. indica through plant tissue culture, and their valuable pigment content and bioactivity were evaluated. The green callus contained the highest amount of anthocyanin, followed by brown and cream callus. The total anthocyanin contents in both the green and brown callus was more than two-fold higher than that in cream callus. Contrasting observation was obtained for total phenolic content (TPC), where the TPC of cream callus was significantly higher than that in brown callus. Nevertheless, the green callus also exhibited the highest TPC. Green callus also contained the highest amount of total chlorophyll and carotenoid, as well as exhibited the highest antioxidant potential, and was found to be the only extract with active cytotox activity against SKOV-3 cells. Correlation analysis revealed that the excellent bioactivity exhibited by the coloured extracts was strongly correlated with the bioactive pigments present in the callus.

The major bioactive compounds identified in the methanolic extracts of A. indica coloured callus are anthocyanins, phenolics, chlorophylls and carotenoids. Future research work should include improvements in the extraction and identification methods, which may lead to detection and determination of other compounds that could attribute to its bioactivity, to complement the findings of the current study.

This analysis provides valuable information on the application of plant tissue culture as an alternative source for sustainable production of major pigments with medicinal benefits in A. indica for possible use as functional natural colourants.

A comparative study on bioactive pigment production in coloured callus from A. indica leaves and its antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity is original. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report detailing a comparative evaluation on the production of coloured callus in A. indica and its relative biochemical composition and bioactive properties.

Marine seaweeds, characterised by high-valued bioactive compounds, are used worldwide for several applications, including human food, animal feed, pharmaceutics and cosmetics, bioplastics, agricultural fertilisers, biofuels, and others. Seaweed production can be carried out through different approaches, from on-land or sea-based cultivation to the harvesting of wild stocks. The latter can be of particular importance in the case of seasonal algal over-proliferations, often caused by eutrophic conditions associated with intensive human industrial activities, and which wreak havoc with ecosystem functioning and hinder economic activities. In Europe, Italy experiences seaweed blooms in several coastal basins, such as the Lagoon of Venice and the Lagoon of Orbetello (Tuscany). Here, the proliferating seaweed represents a disturbance to the natural ecosystem and to local business and touristic activities. These biomasses hold no economic value in the country and are systemically removed and disposed of. Re-purposing the biomass to produce seaweed-derived commercial goods would provide benefits for the environment and local economic activities while promoting a sustainable business within a Circular Economy framework and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals number 12 (‘Responsible consumption and production’), and number 14 (‘Life under water’), among others.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of acai pulp consumption on biometric parameters and inflammatory biomarkers (sCD40L, CCL5, TNF-a and CRP) in apparently healthy women.

Nutritional intervention was performed with women who consumed 200 g of acai pulp daily during 30 consecutive days. Firstly, they were divided into two groups: normal weight and overweight related to BMI. Then, such volunteers were subdivided into other two groups according to values below or above the median of sCD40L.

sCD40L (ρg/mL) concentrations increased in overweight volunteers post-consumption of acai (964 ± 542) compared with the same volunteers pre-consumption of acai (633 ± 187, p = 0.03), and the CCL5 concentrations (ρg/mL) decreased in volunteers with sCD40L concentrations below median after the treatment (4.1 ± 1.5) when compared in same volunteers before the treatment (5.8 ± 1.8, p = 0.02). Protein consumption (g) reduced in volunteers with sCD40L concentrations below median after the intervention (96.6 ± 44.5), when compared before the intervention (96.7 ± 33.8, p = 0.03).

This paper concluded that the acai consumption can modulate the inflammatory profile in both stratified volunteers according to the BMI and the sCD40L marker median.

In this paper, we bridge the gap between imitation and creativity, as we examine whether and how it is possible to succeed in imitation, understood here as the intentional creation of alikeness and, at the same time, the production of something novel and valuable. By distinguishing processes of copying, echoing, and eluding, we scrutinize how different imitation processes intended to create alikeness lead to the emergence of novelty. Using empirical data from two distinct empirical fields, music and pharmaceuticals, we discuss if and how these processes may even lead to emulation and thus the emergence of novelty superseding the imitated original. We find that novelty emerges during processes of imitation from the interplay of a guiding structure obtained from existing originals and the performative variation embedded in processes of imitation. We thereby identify performance enactment, translations between an imitated core and surrounding opportunities as well as the generative effects of intellectual property regulation as key ingredients to foster emulative novelty.