With fresh bitter melon and green tea as main ingredients, xylitol, sucrose and citric acid as auxiliary ingredients, a new cool health tea beverage was developed. The optimum formula of low sugar bitter melon green tea compound beverage was developed by single factor experiment and orthogonal test based on sensory evaluation. The results showed that the optimum formula was as follows: Bitter melon juice was added at 7%, green tea extract was added at 20%, total xylitol and sucrose was 6% (mass ratio 1:1), citric acid was added at 0.2%, and the volume was fixed to 100% with deionized water. The product has light green color, harmonious aroma, moderate acidity and sweetness, and clear texture. The aftertaste is long, with tea polyphenol content of 342 mg/kg, soluble solids of 5.2% and pH 5.8.

There are numerous studies reported on the usage of the sapindus emarginatus (SE) fruit in cancer and other treatments in the past few years. In this study, crude SE fruit extract was prepared and it was further used to synthesis gold nanoparticles (Au Nps). The synthesized Au Nps were left embedded in the SE fruit extract. The Au Nps embedded in the SE fruit extract (SE-Au Nps) were characterized using UV-Visiable Spectroscopy, Centrifugal Particle Size analyzer (CPS), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). MTT assay was carried out for both SE fruit extract and SE-Au Nps on MCF7 breast cancer cell line and thus compared. The UV-Visible Absorbance for the SE-Au Nps was obtained at 543 nm. The centrifugal particle size analysis of the Au Nps embedded in SE fruit extract showed the size of the nanoparticles to be widely varying with higher fraction of particles between the size ranges of 15 to 20 nm. The morphology of the Au Nps embedded in SE fruit extract was observed using SEM. The presence of Au Nps in SE fruit extract was confirmed using FTIR. The results of the MTT assay on MCF7 breast cancer cell line proved that the % cell viability was less for SE-Au Nps than that of the SE fruit extract alone. Thus, the antiproliferative activity of the SE fruit extract was significantly enhanced by embedding it with Au Nps and it can be effectively used in therapeutic applications after further studies.

In this paper, a new compound health drink of aloe and balsam pear was developed by using high-quality aloe and balsam pear as main raw materials and white granulated sugar and citric acid as auxiliary materials. The effects of the addition of aloe juice, balsam pear juice, white granulated sugar and citric acid on the sensory quality of the beverage were investigated and analyzed. On this basis, the orthogonal test was conducted to determine the best formula for the beverage. The results showed that the order of the factors affecting the quality of the finished product was the addition of aloe juice > white granulated sugar > citric acid > balsam pear juice; the optimal formula is 24% aloe juice, 10% balsam pear juice, 7% white granulated sugar and 0.09% citric acid and the resulting beverage was bright in color, sweet and sour with good flavor, and its physical, chemical and health indicators meet the national standards.

The expansion of road networks, taken place during the last decades, was driven by technological progress and economic growth. The most innovative products of this trend—modern motorways and international road corridors—provide an excellent level of service, traffic safety and necessary information to travelers. However, despite this undeniable progress, major impediments and respective challenges to road authorities and operators still remain. The present paper analytically presents the main current challenges in the road engineering field, namely: a) financing new projects, b) alternative energy resources, especially renewable energy, c) serviceability, including maintenance of road infrastructure, traffic congestion and quality of the network, d) climate change hazards due to greenhouse gas emissions increase, e) environmental impacts, f) safety on roads, streets and motorways, and g) economy and cost-effectiveness. In each country and over each network, challenges and concerns may vary, but, in most cases, competent authorities, engaged in road development policies, have to deal with most of these issues. The optimization of the means to achieve the best results seems to be an enduring stake. In the present paper, the origin and the main features of these challenges are outlined as well as their tendency to get amplified or diminished under the actual evolving economic conditions worldwide, where growth alternates with crisis and social hardship. Moreover, responses, meant to provide solutions to the said challenges, are suggested, including research findings of Aristotle University and innovative technological achievements, to drive the transition to a more sustainable future.