Functional properties and characterization of dietary fiber from Mangifera pajang Kort. fruit pulp

A dried high fiber product from bambangan (Mangifera pajang Kort.) fruit pulp was prepared and evaluated for proximate composition, functional properties, and soluble and insoluble dietary fiber composition. Mangifera pajang fibrous (MPF) consisted of 4.7% moisture, 0.8% fat, 4% protein, and 30 mg total polyphenol per g of dry sample, and 9, 79 and 88% soluble, insoluble and total dietary fiber, respectively. Water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, swelling, and solubility were found to be 9 g/g dry sample, 4 g/g dry sample, 16 mL/g dry sample, and 11%, respectively. The glucose dialysis retardation index of MPF was approximately double that of cellulose fiber. Soluble dietary fiber contained mannose, arabinose, glucose, rhamnose, erythrose, galactose, xylose, and fucose at 1.51, 0.72, 0.39, 0.16, 0.14, 0.05, 0.04, and 0.01%, respectively, with 5.8% uronic acid, while insoluble dietary fiber was composed of arabinose (18.47%), glucose (4.46%), mannose (3.15%), rhamnose (1.65%), galactose (1.20%), xylose (0.99%), and fucose (0.26%) with 15.5% uronic acid and 33.1% klason lignin. These characteristics indicate that MPF is a rich source of dietary fiber and has physicochemical properties which make it suitable as an added ingredient in various food products and/or dietetic, low-calorie high-fiber foods to enhance their nutraceutical properties.     

Investigation of the potential utility of single-bounce attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the analysis of distilled liquors and wines

A new Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic method based on single-bounce attenuated total reflectance (SB-ATR) spectroscopy was developed for the analysis of distilled liquors and wines. For distilled liquors, a partial least-squares (PLS) calibration was developed for alcohol determination based on the SB-ATR/FTIR spectra of mixtures of ethanol and distilled water. An independent set of 12 different distilled liquor samples was predicted from the PLS calibration, and a standard deviation of the differences for accuracy (SDD(a)) between actual and predicted values of 0.142% (v/v) was obtained. The potential utility of SB-ATR/FTIR spectroscopy for the analysis of wines was initially evaluated based on a comparison with Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy using a flow-through transmission cell. PLS calibrations for alcohol, total reducing sugars, total acidity and pH were developed using pre-analyzed wine samples (n = 28), and for SB-ATR/FTIR spectroscopy, the SDD(a) for the leave-one-out cross-validation statistics were of the order of 0.100% (v/v), 0.707 g L(-1), 0.189 g L(-1) (H2SO4), and 0.230, respectively. Overall, the SB-ATR/FTIR results were better than those obtained using FT-NIR spectroscopy and comparable to those obtained with transmission FTIR spectroscopy. A PLS calibration based on preanalyzed wine samples (n = 72) for the prediction of 11 different components and parameters in wines by SB-ATR/FTIR spectroscopy was subsequently developed and validated using an independent sample set (n = 77). Good coefficients of correlation between the reference and predicted values for the validation set were obtained for most of the components and parameters except citric acid, volatile acids, and total SO2. The results of this study demonstrate the suitability of SB-ATR/FTIR spectroscopy for the routine analysis of distilled liquors and wines.     

Antibody to Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin in sheep exposed to natural infection

Specific antibody to Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin was detected in sheep sera exposed to natural infection. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used. Serum antitoxin was present in 49.3% of sera obtained from a flock of sheep naturally exposed to P. pseudomallei infection. Among these sera, 17.0% gave titers of 10,000. In contrast, serum antitoxin was present in only 6.0% of sera collected from sheep kept on a melioidosis-free farm. The ELISA reactivity of all positive sera could be completely absorbed with purified P. pseudomallei exotoxin. Similarly, preincubation of the exotoxin-coated wells with specific antiserum inhibited the ELISA reactivity of sheep sera. The results indicate that exotoxin is produced in vivo during infection by P. pseudomallei.     

Abortion rate and mortality among exotic pregnant heifers imported to the Gezira in the central region of the Sudan

Despite the intensive management and husbandry precautions, exotic pregnant heifers imported to the Gezira, Sudan, suffered excessive stress. Four of five heifers aborted due to stress. Death was due to pasteurellosis, babesiosis and heart water.     

Prevalence of serotypes G6 and G10 group A rotaviruses in dairy calves in Quebec.

Fecal samples from diarrheic and nondiarrheic dairy calves (1 to 3 weeks old) from 12 regions of Quebec, collected between 1992 and 1994, were screened for group A bovine rotavirus (BRV) using a combination of 2 VP6-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall prevalence of BRV infection was 26.4% (107/405). In diarrheic calves, BRV infection reached 74.3% (55/74), but only 15.7% (52/331) in nondiarrheic calves. BRV-positive samples were serotyped by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using G6 and G10 specific MAbs. The analysis of 107 field samples revealed that, in diarrheic calves, 34.5% (19/55) were G6, 27.2% (15/55) were G10, 9% (5/55) were G6 and G10 positive, and 29.9% (16/55) were G6 and G10 negative. In nondiarrheic calves, 19.2% (10/52) were G6, 19.2% (10/52) were G10, 7.6% (4/52) were G6 and G10 positive, and 53.6% (28/52) were G6 and G10 negative. Rotavirus dsRNA was extracted from BRV-positive samples and examined by polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Of 107 samples tested, 74 (69.1%) were positive, and all the samples demonstrated a typical group A rotavirus migration pattern.     

Economics of Tray Culture of the Mother-of-pearl Shell Pinctada margaritifera in the Red Sea, Sudan

An economic analysis of tray cultured oysters in Dongonab Bay, Red Sea was conducted based on production costs collected by the Red Sea Fisheries Research Centre. The analysis showed that oflbottom oyster farming was economically attractive at a price around 1.5 Sudanese pounds (US $0.75) per kilogram of shell and discount rates of 40% or less.     

The pathogenesis of experimental Haemonchus longistipes infection in camels

The pathogenesis and clinical signs of Haemonchus longistipes infection were studied in four experimentally infected camels two of which were adults and the other two were young. In the former animals, an acute infection developed, characterized by mucoid diarrhoea, anorexia, anaemia, loss of body weight, oedema of the lower parts of the limbs, general malaise and death at 8-10 weeks post-infection. In the two younger camels, a less dramatic disease was encountered with less severe symptoms and no oedema, but also terminating fatally at 19-20 weeks post-infection. Parasitological, haematological and biochemical parameters were determined during the course of the infection and were mostly comparable with those usually encountered in haemonchosis of other animals.