Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T17:37:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Michele Aparecida Hartmann Schmidt.pdf: 230697 bytes, checksum: b08b482b200a54dcdc6e276a3ea6d3c2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-09-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / To prevent the losses in agriculture has been the great objective of the Engineers Agronomists, as well as professionals of other similar areas of agrarian sciences that are worried very about the losses in agriculture, including the fitossanitária area. Most of the time, during the chemical control of plagues, harmful illnesses and plants, give to much importance to the fitossanitário product and little attention to the application technique. The consequence is the loss of effectiveness, when not total it failure of that take to the loss of yield of the cultivate and the damages to the environment and the proper health human being. The majority of the applications of agricultural defensives is made by means of spraying, that is, for the generation and emission of liquid particles. Due to those needs the present work was carried out in Cascavel PR, in the harvest 2004/2005, using the soybean cultivar CD 202, with the objective evaluating the amount of syrup deposited on the soybean leaves, varied the volume of syrup applied and the beaks types used in the spraying bar, used tracer substance, simulating the physical characteristics of the solutions of the products. To evaluate the spraying distribution, fifteen leaves were collected per plant in different extracts (higher, medium and lower), with the purpose of evaluating the syrup penetration, in agreement with the different beaks and applied volumes. The experimental design was arranged in randomized complete blocks, in factorial arrangement, with four beaks and point of the type simple fan, double fan, double fan with air injection and empty cone and 3 syrup volumes (150, 250 and 350 L ha-1). In agreement with the results obtained and in the conditions that the present work was carried out. In accordance with the results gotten and in the conditions where the present work was lead, concluded that: In what it says respect to the peaks of spraying in different extracts of the plants, can be concluded that, it did not have significant difference enters the used peaks in the experiment. As for the volumes of syrup volume, it did not have significant difference between the same ones, however when compared in different extracts of the plant, the biggest deposition L was gotten with the use of 250 ha-1, having been that when the volume for more varied or for less the deposition it was lesser. As for the extract of the plant, the deposition of syrup volume varied of decreasing form of the superior extract the inferior / Evitar as perdas na agricultura tem sido o grande objetivo dos Engenheiros Agrônomos, assim como profissionais de outras áreas afins de ciências agrárias que preocupam-se muito com as perdas na agricultura, incluindo a área fitossanitária. Na maioria das vezes, durante o controle químico de pragas, doenças e plantas daninhas, dá-se muita importância ao produto fitossanitário e pouca atenção à técnica de aplicação. A conseqüência é a perda de eficácia, quando não o fracasso total do tratamento, com superdosagens ou subdosagens, que levam à perda de rentabilidade dos cultivos e a danos ao ambiente e à própria saúde humana. A maioria das aplicações de defensivos agrícolas é feita por meio de pulverização, ou seja, pela geração e emissão de partículas líquidas. Diante dessas necessidades foi conduzido o presente trabalho foi conduzido no município de Cascavel PR, na safra de 2004/2005, utilizando o cultivar de soja CD 202, com o objetivo de avaliar a quantidade de calda depositada nas folhas da soja, variando-se o volume de calda aplicada e os tipos de pontas utilizadas na barra de pulverização, utilizando-se substância traçadora, simulando as características físicas das soluções de produtos fitossanitários. Para avaliar a distribuição da pulverização, foram coletadas quinze folhas por planta em diferentes extratos (superior, mediano e inferior), com a finalidade de avaliar a deposição da calda, de acordo com os diferentes pontas e volumes aplicados. O delineamento experimental constituiu-se de blocos ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial, compreendendo 4 pontas de pulverização com pontas do tipo leque simples, duplo leque, duplo leque com injeção de ar e cone vazio e 3 volumes de calda (150, 250 e 350 L ha-1 ). De acordo com os resultados obtidos e nas condições em que o presente trabalho foi conduzido, concluiu-se que: No que diz respeito às pontas de pulverização nos diferentes extratos das plantas, não houve diferença significativa entre as pontas utilizadas no experimento; no que se refere aos volumes de calda, não houve diferença significativa entre os mesmos, porém quando comparados nos diferentes extratos da planta, a maior deposição foi obtida com a utilização de 250 L ha-1, sendo que quando variou-se o volume para mais ou para menos a deposição foi menor. No que se refere ao extrato da planta, a deposição da calda variou de forma decrescente do extrato superior ao inferior

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 2001. / "May 2001." Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-152). Also available on the Internet.

Using a model system of glycosylated and aglycon standards consisting of rutin and quercetin respectively, and a series of pre-packed solid phase extraction cartridges, including C18 Extra-Clean, DSC-18, DPA-6S, Oasis HLB and Amberlite XAD-2. The experimental findings also showed that use of a commercial hesperinidase preparation, resulted in adequate hydrolysis of the glycosylated standard rutin. Based on these findings, the phenolic compounds and flavonoids from maple sap and syrup were separated using the Amberlite XAD-2 column, where the glycosylated fractions eluted with 60% aqueous methanol solution and the aglycon fractions eluted with a methanol:acetonitrile mixture (1:1, v/v). The recovered glycosylated fractions were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using the hesperinidase preparation and the liberated phenolic compounds and flavonoids, as well as the sugar components were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Comparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas-liquid chromatography (GC) analyses of selected phenolic and flavonoid standards were developed using a wide range of detectors, including ultraviolet diode-array (UV-DAD) and electrochemical (EC) detectors for HPLC and flame ionization detector (FID) and mass spectrometry (MS) for GC. The results demonstrated that the limits of detection obtained with HPLC-EC analysis were 10 to 500-times higher for phenolic acid standards and 2 to 50-times higher for flavonoid standards than those obtained with the HPLC-UV analysis. HPLC-EC was more sensitive than GC/FID for all investigated standards, especially for vanillin and syringaldehyde. The results indicated that GC/FID/MS analysis of phenolic and flavonoid standards was more efficient than that of HPLC, providing a fast analysis with better resolution and baseline separation of all standards with minimum co-elution. The only co-elution encountered in GC/FID was with coniferol and p-coumaric acids. For HPLC analysis, (-)-epicatechin, caffeic and homovanillic acids were co-eluted at 28.04 min and sinapic and ferulic acids at 34.57 min. Phenolic compounds and flavonoids were extracted from maple sap and maple syrup with ethyl acetate and the recovered compounds were subjected to HPLC and GC analyses. Tentative identification of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in maple sap and maple syrup indicated the presence of protocatechuic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, vanillin, coniferol, syringaldehyde, flavanols and dihydroflavonols related compounds. In addition, the identification by GC/MS of protocatechuic acid, vanillin, syringaldehyde, coniferol and p-coumaric acid was made by comparing mass spectrum characteristics of individual peak from total ion chromatogram (TIC) to that of standard compounds. The seasonal variation of selected phenolic compounds and flavonoids present in maple sap and maple syrup was also invest

The increase in the rate of diabetes has coincided with drastic increases in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption. There is much controversy over whether these increases are linked. Fructose consumption has been under much scrutiny, as fructose metabolism is not regulated by phosphofructokinase, the major regulator of the glycolytic pathway. Studies have shown that high levels of fructose consumption lead to decreased insulin sensitivity through a mechanism that involves the disruption of insulin signaling by abnormal lipid accumulation. Recent studies have indicated that HFCS consumption similarly affects the body; however, results have been inconsistent. This paper proposes a study that focuses on revealing whether HFCS consumption increases the predisposition to developing type II diabetes by lowering insulin sensitivity, while taking in contributing factors such as amount of consumption, study duration, and subject characteristics. In this proposed study, subjects will moderately consume HFCS at 15% of daily energy requirements (DER) for six months. It is expected that the moderate HFCS consumption will induce insulin resistance through inducing hepatic lipid accumulation.

Orientadores : Marlene Rita de Queiroz, Jose Mauricio Aguirre / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Agricola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T16:47:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Germer_SilviaPimentelMarconi_D.pdf: 3106531 bytes, checksum: 5c0baacdb09bcd349e61c08612e69b00 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: O presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliar a industrialização de cultivares da persicultura paulista na forma de fruta passa empregando-se processo combinado de pré-secagem osmótica (PSO) e secagem convencional com ar quente (SC). Avaliou-se a aptidão das cultivares Douradão, Régis, Aurora-1 e Diamante na PSO com xarope de sacarose (65 °Brix, 45 °C, 6 h), seguida de SC (65 °C, 1,5 m/s). As cultivares Regis e Aurora-1 apresentaram melhores desempenhos globais (facilidade no preparo, bom rendimento de processo e boa aceitação sensorial). Empregando-se o delineamento central composto rotacional, investigou-se a influência da temperatura (30 / 50 ºC) e da concentração do xarope (45 / 65 °Brix) na PSO da cultivar Aurora-1 (fatias e metades). Pesquisaram-se as variações físicas e químicas das frutas, os parâmetros perda de massa (PM) e perda de água (PA), e o desempenho sensorial dos produtos. Modelaram-se os resultados usando a metodologia de Superfície de Resposta, obtendo-se os seguintes modelos matemáticos significativos (p<0,05) e preditivos: teores de sólidos solúveis, teores de açúcares totais e não redutores, acidez titulável, L* de cor e PA para as fatias; e dos teores de sólidos solúveis, L* de cor, PA e PM para as metades. Os maiores valores de PA e melhores desempenhos sensoriais foram obtidos nas seguintes faixas: 50 a 54,1 °C e 45 a 65 °Brix para as fatias e 50 a 54,1 °C e 55 a 65 °Brix para as metades. Avaliaram-se, em seguida, dois métodos de recondicionamento (RC) do xarope na PSO de fatias de pêssego: (1) por peneiramento, concentração a vácuo e reposição de xarope; (2) idem, acrescentando-se a operação de filtração. Os ensaios consistiram de 15 ciclos de PSO (50 °C, 65 °Brix, relação xarope: fruta de 4:1) com RC e reuso (RU), seguidos de secagem complementar (SC) (65 °C; 5 h). Análises físicas, químicas e microbiológicas foram realizadas nos xaropes, na matéria-prima e na fruta seca. Determinaram-se os parâmetros PA e incorporação de sólidos (IS), e avaliaram-se sensorialmente os produtos. As cargas microbianas permaneceram baixas. Não houve influência do RC/RU nos parâmetros PA e IS, nem no sabor e na textura sensorial. O RC/RU favoreceu a manutenção da cor amarela do produto. Os métodos apresentaram desempenhos semelhantes. Na seqüência, avaliou-se o desempenho sensorial de compotas de pêssego preparadas com os xaropes da etapa anterior, após 15 ciclos de PSO com RC/RU. Foram três formulações de calda preparadas com: (A) xarope do método (1); (B) xarope do método (2); (C) xarope novo. Não houve diferença significativa (p<0,05) entre os tratamentos quanto à turbidez da calda e à cor da fruta. Quanto ao sabor, os tratamentos A e C resultaram significativamente (p<0,05) superiores ao B. Avaliou-se, finalmente, a viabilidade econômica de uma unidade produtora de pêssego e abacaxi passa (1300 kg de fruta / dia) pelo processo combinado PSO/SC empregando-se o RC/RU do xarope (método 1) por 15 ciclos. Determinaram-se investimentos iniciais, capital de giro, custos e receitas totais. A lucratividade foi avaliada, empregando-se análise de fluxo de caixa, desconsiderando-se capitais de terceiros. A taxa interna de retorno (TIR) foi de 34%, e o valor presente líquido (VPL) obtido indica duplicação do capital em 20 anos. Os resultados apontam para a viabilidade econômica do projeto / Abstract: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the industrialization of peach cultivars from the State of São Paulo, Brazil, in the semi-dried form, using a combined process involving osmotic pre-drying (OPD) and conventional hot air drying (CD). The aptness of the cultivars Douradão, Régis, Aurora-1 and Diamante was evaluated, using OPD with sucrose syrup (65 °Brix, 45 °C, 6 h) followed by CD (65 °C, 1.5 m/s). The cultivars Regis and Aurora-1 showed the best overall performances (ease of preparation, good process yield and good sensory acceptance). A central compound rotary design was used to investigate the influence of temperature (30 / 50 °C) and sucrose concentration (45 / 65 ºBrix) in the OPD of the Aurora-1 cultivar (slices and halves). The physical and chemical variation of the fruits, the mass loss (ML) and water loss (WL) parameters, and the sensory performance of the products were investigated. The results were modeled using response surface methodology, obtaining the following significant (p<0.05) and predictive mathematical models: for the slices - soluble solids contents, total and non-reducing sugar contents, titratable acidity, L* of color and WL; and for the halves - soluble solids contents, L* of color, WL and ML. The highest values for WL and the best sensory performances were obtained in the following ranges: for the slices - 50 to 54.1 °C and 45 to 65 °Brix; and for the halves - 50 to 54.1 °C and 55 to 65 °Brix. Two reconditioning (RC) methods for the syrup used in the OPD of the peach slices were also evaluated: (1) by sieving, vacuum concentration and replacement of the syrup; (2) idem plus a filtration operation. The trials consisted of 15 OPD cycles (50 °C, 65 °Brix, syrup: fruit ratio of 4: 1) with RC and reuse (RU), followed by complementary drying (CD) (65 °C; 5 h). Physical, chemical and microbiological analyses were carried out on the syrups, raw material and dried fruit. The parameters WL and solids incorporation (SI) were determined and a sensory evaluation of the products was carried out. The microbial loads remained low and RC/RU had no influence on the parameters of WL and SI, nor on the sensory flavor or texture. RC/RU favored maintenance of the yellow color of the product and the methods showed similar performances. In sequence, the sensory performance of peach preserves prepared with the syrups from the previous step after 15 cycles of OPD with RC/RU was evaluated. Three syrup formulations were used for the preserves: (A) syrup from method (1); (B) syrup from method (2); and (C) freshly prepared syrup. There were no significant (p<0.05) differences between the treatments with respect to cloudiness of the syrup and fruit color, but with respect to flavor, treatments A and C were significantly (p<0.05) superior to B. Finally, the economic feasibility of a dried peach and pineapple producing unit (1300 kg fruit / day) using the combined OPD/CD process with syrup RC/RU (method 1) for 15 cycles, was evaluated. The initial investment, turnover capital, costs and total income were determined. Profitability was evaluated by analyzing the cash flow and ignoring third party capital. The return of investment (ROI) was 34% and the net present value (NPV) obtained indicated duplication of the capital in 20 years. These results indicated the economic feasibility of the project / Doutorado / Tecnologia Pós-Colheita / Doutor em Engenharia Agrícola

Atualmente o consumo de xarope de maltose vem crescendo devido ao seu uso em cervejarias e está substituindo progressivamente os adjuntos amiláceos. O xarope de maltose é, tradicionalmente, produzido por meio da hidrólise ácida e/ou enzimática de amido ou flocos de milho. Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a possibilidade de obtenção de maltose a partir de outras matérias-primas amiláceas como a mandioca e a puba (produto derivado da fermentação da mandioca) pela ação da a-amilase bacteriana e da a-amilase fúngica sem que fosse necessária a extração do amido. Amostras de mandioca e puba com 10, 20 e 30% de sólidos foram incubadas com a-amilase bacteriana termoestável durante 10, 20 e 30 minutos a 80 0 C, adicionando-se em seguida, µ-amilase fúngica e incubando-se as amostras durante 48 horas a 55 0 C. O grau de sacarificação, expresso em dextrose equivalente (DE), foi determinado pelo método DNS em vários intervalos de tempo. Glicose e maltose foram determinadas por HPLC após 48 horas de sacarificação. Os resultados mostraram que o tempo de ação da a-amilase bacteriana não causou diferenças significativas no grau de hidrólise entre as amostras, mas a concentração de sólidos influiu significativamente no grau da liquefação das amostras. O comportamento das curvas do grau de sacarificação foi semelhante para todos os tratamentos tanto da mandioca quanto da puba. O conteúdo de maltose nas amostras variou entre 30-60% e a glicose entre 0-10% caracterizando um xarope com alto teor de maltose. A eficiência de hidrólise ficou abaixo do esperado. Entretanto, esse fato pode ser explicado pela utilização da mandioca sem extração prévia do amido e pelas dificuldades na extração dos sólidos por centrifugação. Pode-se afirmar que tanto a mandioca quanto à puba podem ser utilizadas como matéria prima em substituição ao milho na obtenção de xarope de maltose através da hidrólise enzimática. A puba, porém, é de mais fácil manuseio sendo que o tratamento com 20% de sólidos, exposto durante 10 minutos a a-amilase bacteriana proporcionou maior rendimento, atingindo 4,2 kg de maltose e 0,3 kg de glicose por 100 kg de mandioca fresca além de proporcionar menor quantidade de resíduo sólidos de 13,7 kg. / Nowadays the consumption of maltose syrups is increasing due to its utilization in breweries where it replaces starch adjuncts. Traditionally maltose syrup has been produced from cornstarch or pellets using acid and/or enzymatic hydrolysis. The objective of this work was to evaluate the possibility of obtaining maltose from starch sources other than maize, such as cassava roots or puba, a fermented cassava product, without extraction of the starch, using bacterial a-amylase and fungal a-amylase for starch hydrolysis. Cassava and puba samples with 10, 20 and 30% dry matter were incubated with termostable bacterial a-amylase for 10, 20 and 30 minutes at 80 0 C, followed by the addition of fungal a-amylase. The samples were incubated for 48 hours at 55 0 C. The degree of saccharification, expressed as dextrose equivalent (DE), was determined by the DNS method. The glucose and maltose contents of the hydrolysate were determined after 48 hours by HPLC. The results showed that the time of action of a-amylase did not influence the degree of saccharification of the samples but the solids concentration significantly affected the hydrolysis degree. The saccharification degree curves were similar for both cassava and puba. The maltose content of the samples varied between 30-60% and the glucose content between 0-10%, which characterized them as "High maltose syrups". The hydrolysis efficiency was lower than expected. However, this fact could be explained by the use of cassava without extraction of the starch and by the difficulty of extracting the solids by centrifugation. It was concluded that for replacement of corn starch, both cassava roots and puba could be used as raw materials for maltose syrup production by enzymatic hydrolysis. However the puba was easier to handle than cassava. The puba treatment consisting of 20% of solids and 10 minutes exposure to a-amylase gave the highest yield reaching 4.2 kg of maltose and 0.3 kg of glucose per 100 kg of raw cassava, in addition to a lower solids residue of 13.7 kg.

O gênero Eucalyptus, família Myrtaceae, é composto por mais de 400 espécies, das quais a maioria é nativa do continente australiano. Dentre as espécies mais conhecidas, o Eucalyptus globulus tem sido tradicionalmente utilizado pela população no tratamento de doenças respiratórias devido a seus efeitos expectorante, fluidificante e antisséptico. Assim, como para todos fitoterápicos, durante o desenvolvimento de um novo produto é imprescindível que os parâmetros de segurança, eficácia e qualidade sejam devidamente certificados e assegurados. Para tanto, é necessário desenvolver e validar metodologias analíticas para o controle de qualidade e, desta forma, assegurar o efeito terapêutico desejado. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver e validar uma metodologia analítica capaz de quantificar com exatidão o teor de 1,8-cineol em óleo essencial, planta desidratada e extratos de E. globulus, bem como em xarope à base de extrato fluido desta espécie. O método analítico foi desenvolvido e validado em cromatógrafo de fase gasosa da marca Hewelett Packard Agilent Tecnologies, Inc, modelo 6890N, equipado com injetor split/splitless e detector de ionização em chama. O injetor operou no modo split (razão 20:1), à temperatura de 250 °C, enquanto o detector operou à temperatura de 270 °C. Como gás de arraste utilizou-se hidrogênio, com fluxo de 2,2 mL/min. Para as análises utilizou-se coluna capilar de sílica fundida HP-5 (5% fenil-metil-siloxano) de dimensões: 30,0 m x 320,0 µm x 0,25 µm. O programa de temperatura do forno iniciou-se em 75 °C e foi concluído a 200 °C, no período de 20 minutos. A identificação dos principais componentes presentes na espécie foi realizada utilizando-se cromatografia gasosa com detecção de massas (CG-EM). Para a análise qualitativa foram obtidos fingerprints de 12 espécies de Eucalyptus, a citar: E. botryoides, E. citriodora, E. elba, E. globulus, E. grandis, E. microcorys, E. paniculata, E. resinifera, E. robusta, E. saligna, E. tereticornis e E. urophylla. O cromatograma do óleo de E. globlulus apresenta um pico majoritário em 5,23 minutos, correspondente ao 1,8-cineol. Já os cromatogramas das outras espécies, possuem diferenças e semelhanças significativas, tanto na presença de metabólitos quanto na quantidade de cada um, o que permite a identificação preliminar de cada espécie por este método. Além da seletividade e linearidade alcançadas, a porcentagem de recuperação ficou situada em 99,8% para as folhas de eucalipto e 100,5% para o xarope. A precisão, determinada pelo desvio padrão relativo de sextuplicatas à concentração do teste para as folhas e xarope foi de 1,86% e 0,92% respectivamente, ou seja, dentro do limite estabelecido ela ANVISA que é de, no máximo 5%. Finalmente, foram determinados os limites de detecção (4,79 g/mL) e quantificação (14,51g/mL) e avaliada a influência dos principais parâmetros modificados deliberadamente na determinação da robustez, através do teste de Yuden. Sendo assim, o método desenvolvido, utilizando padronização interna, se mostrou adequado para a quantificação do marcador 1,8-cineol não só nas folhas, extratos e óleo essencial de E. globulus, mas também em xarope contendo o extrato desta espécie, garantindo a rastreabilidade de todo o processo produtivo. / The genus Eucalyptus, family Myrtaceae, is composed of more than 400 species, most of them native to Australia. From the most known species, Eucalyptus globulus has been traditionally used for the treatment of respiratory diseases because of its expectorant, mucolytic and antiseptic effects. As occurs for all phytomedicines, during the development of a new product, it is indispensable to guarantee and to certify the security, efficacy and quality parameters. For this reason, it is necessary to develop and validate analytical methodologies for the quality control system and to assure the desired therapeutic effect. Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop and validate an analytical methodology capable to quantify, with accuracy, the 1.8-cineol content in E. globulus essential oil, dried leaves, extracts and syrup. The analytical procedure was developed and validated using a Hewlett-Packard 6890N gas chromatograph (Agilent Technologies, Inc.) equipped with a split/splitless injector inlet and a flame ionization detector. The injector operated in the split mode (20:1), at 250 °C, while the detector operated at 270 °C. Hydrogen at a flow rate of 2.2 mL/min was employed as carrier gas. An HP-5 capillary column (30 m of length x 0.32 mm of internal diameter x 0.25 µm of film thickness) was used for the analysis and the non linear increasing temperature gradient was: 75 °C to 200 °C, in 20 min. The identification of the main compounds of E. globulus was made using GC-MS. For the qualitative analysis the fingerprints of 12 Eucalyptus species were obtained: E. botryoides, E. citriodora, E. elba, E. globulus, E. grandis, E. microcorys, E. paniculata, E. resinifera, E. robusta, E. saligna, E. tereticornis and E. urophylla. The chromatogram of E. globulus shows the main peak (1.8-cineol) at 5.23 minutes. The chromatograms of the other species have some significant differences and similarities in the presence and quantity of metabolites, a fact that allows a preliminary identification of each specie by this method. Besides the selectivity and linearity achieved, the recovery was at 99.8% for the leaves and 100.5% for the syrup. The repeatability, determined by the relative standard deviation in six replicates at test concentration, was 1.86% and 0.92%, respectively. This result is in agreement with the Brazilian regulamentation (the maximum value established for ANVISA is 5%). The detection limit was 4.79 g/mL while the quantification limit was 14.51g/mL. Finally, the influence of the main modified parameters for the robustness was determined using the Yuden test. The developed method, with internal standardization, proved to be reliable for the quantification of 1.8-cineol, not only in eucalyptus leaves, extracts and essential oils, but also in syrup formulations containing this plant extract, avowing the rastreability of the entire manufacturing process.

M.Tech. (Homoeopathy) / Upper Respiratory tract viral infections (URTIs), such as influenza and the common cold, are a group of common infections in the human population. They have a seemingly mild nature, but studies have found them to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide (Wat, 2004). In the western world, the majority of pre-school childrenconsult a doctor for a respiratory infection at least once a year. Conventional medical treatment options are said to be limited, and antibiotics are often unnecessarily prescribed.The frequency of antibiotic prescriptions has caused a resistance of pathogenic bacteria against these antibiotics, and this in turn, has become a major threat to treatment (Schönbeck et al., 2005). A traditional South African herb, Pelargonium sidoides (P. sidoides), has been shown to have antibacterial, antiviral, and immunomodulatory properties in many investigations (Brendler, 2009). No studies have been done to date assessing the efficacy of P. sidoides as a prophylactic for influenza and the common cold in children. This study aimed at establishing the efficacy of Linctagon® Syrup in the prevention of colds and influenza in pre-school children. The study was a double- blind, placebo–controlled study whereby thirty healthy children aged four to six years old were placed into two groups using matched pairs according to gender. Fifteen participants were allocated to the experimental group whereby the Linctagon® Syrup was taken for the duration of the study. The other fifteen participants were allocated in the placebo group for the duration of the study and given a placebo syrup. Parents / guardians were requested to read the Participant Information Leaflet (Appendix B), and sign the Participant Details and Consent Form (Appendix C,) and the participants were requested to sign the Participation of Minor Assent Form (Appendix D). On day 0, the parents / guardians signed the forms and the initial visit took place. The researcher conducted an ear, nose, throat and respiratory examination on each participant and vital signs were measured. The medication was randomised by an independent person at Nativa Laboratories. Each participant received two 150ml bottles of either the Linctagon® syrup or placebo syrup, and parents / guardians were advised on how to administer the medication (Appendix E), by the researcher. The participants were required to take 2.5ml twice daily for a period of sixty days. A Weekly Progress Questionnaire (Appendix F) was handed to the parents / guardians of each child, and they were requested to fill them in over an eight week period. This questionnaire assessed the wellness of the child for the duration of the study and involved a 4-point rating system to assess the severity of symptoms for both influenza and the common cold. Weekly telephone calls were made to the participants’ parents / guardians to follow up on progress. A final visitation occurred on day 60, and included the collection of the questionnaires. The parents / guardians were requested to fill in a score card at the end of the study, rating the effectiveness of Linctagon® Syrup in the prevention of colds and influenza in their child (Appendix G). The data was statistically analysed by Statkon at the University of Johannesburg by means of non-parametric tests, namely: descriptive data, Cochran’s test, Chi-square test, cross tabulation, Mann-Whitney U test and the Friedman test. The research study determined that Linctagon® Syrup did not have a statistically significant effect in the prevention of influenza and the common cold in children, in support of the null hypothesis. Linctagon® Syrup also had no effect on reducing the incidence, frequency or duration of symptoms in those children who became ill, however this may be due to the relativity low dosage prescribed. Further large scale studies are recommended to validate these results.The score card (subjective rating on the efficacy of the syrup) showed a statistically significant result between the two groups, in favour of the treatment group.

The subject of this diploma thesis is the business plan for the establishment of a manufacturing company. The company will operate mainly in the food industry. Thesis is divided into three parts, namely theoretical, analytical and practical. The theoretical part describes the theoretical data related to the preparation of the business plan, the analytical part is dedicated to analysis of the state and practical part contains own suggestions in several variants.