METHODS: Firstly, grounded theory (GT) was used to analyze interview data to extract consumer demand indicators and construct a design evaluation hierarchical model. Secondly, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to calculate the weights of the indicators, determine their priority of importance, and obtain several indicators that have a greater impact on the tea set design to guide innovative design practice. Lastly, the tea set design schemes were evaluated using the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to select the optimal design scheme and also to act as a guideline for further design optimization.
CONCLUSION: This study explores the innovative design and evaluation method for tea set products based on GT-AHP-FCE and validates the feasibility of this approach through a practical example of tea set design inspired by "The Classic of Mountains and Seas.". It provides innovative theoretical and practical guidance for designers of subsequent tea set products and also provides a new path for the inheritance and innovation of traditional culture.
METHODS: The Pub med data base was searched for human clinical studies, reviews pertinent to application of green tea polyphenols in periodontal health dating from Sep 1980- Sep 2014.
RESULTS: The retrieved inference from the epidemiological surveys, in vitro studies and overviews of polyphenols, postulate green tea as potential natural antioxidant. Green tea mouthwashes possess limitations, which make them ineffective during the chronic stages of periodontitis. Human studies reveal that the prognosis of periodontal disease is better when the green tea catechins are used via local drug delivery.
CONCLUSION: The maintenance of periodontal health could be enhanced by emphasizing the habit of drinking green tea in periodontitis patients. The future scope of the research demands the analysis of polyphenols at molecular level to have a better understanding of its overwhelming applications.
METHODS: Noni leaves (three doses) and black tea water extracts were fed to ovariectomized rats for 4 mo, and their effects (analyzed via mechanical measurements, micro-computed tomography scan, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction mRNA) were compared with Remifemin (a commercial phytoestrogen product from black cohosh).
RESULTS: The water extracts (dose-dependently for noni leaves) increased bone regeneration biomarker (runt-related transcription factor 2, bone morphogenetic protein 2, osteoprotegerin, estrogen receptor 1 [ESR1], collagen type I alpha 1A) expressions and reduced the inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, nuclear factor [NF]-κB, and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand) mRNA expressions/levels in the rats. The extracts also improved bone physical and mechanical properties. The extracts demonstrated bone regeneration through improving bone size and structure, bone mechanical properties (strength and flexibility), and bone mineralization and density.
CONCLUSIONS: The catechin-rich extract favored bone regeneration and suppressed bone resorption. The mechanisms involved enhancing osteoblast generation and survival, inhibiting osteoclast growth and activities, suppressing inflammation, improving bone collagen synthesis and upregulating ESR1 expression to augment phytoestrogenic effects. Estrogen deficiency bone loss and all extracts studied (best effect from Morinda leaf at 300 mg/kg body weight) mitigated the loss, indicating benefits for the aged and menopausal women.
AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aims to compile the preclinical and clinical studies that had been done on EGCG to investigate its protective effect on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in order to provide a systematic guidance for future research.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Research papers related to EGCG were obtained from the major scientific databases, for example, Science direct, PubMed, NCBI, Springer and Google scholar, from 1995 to 2017.
RESULTS: EGCG was found to exhibit a wide range of therapeutic properties including anti-atherosclerosis, anti-cardiac hypertrophy, anti-myocardial infarction, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. These therapeutic effects are mainly associated with the inhibition of LDL cholesterol (anti-atherosclerosis), inhibition of NF-κB (anti-cardiac hypertrophy), inhibition of MPO activity (anti-myocardial infarction), reduction in plasma glucose and glycated haemoglobin level (anti-diabetes), reduction of inflammatory markers (anti-inflammatory) and the inhibition of ROS generation (antioxidant).
CONCLUSION: EGCG shows different biological activities and in this review, a compilation of how this bioactive molecule plays its role in treating cardiovascular and metabolic diseases was discussed.