Sea buckthorn products: manufacture and composition.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a unique plant currently being domesticated. The fruit is the main component of value, although the leaves are occasionally made into sea buckthorn tea. The two main sources of valuable products are derived from the berries, juice from the fleshy tissue and seed as a single seed from each berry. The juice provides a nutritious beverage, high in suspended solids and very high in vitamin C and carotenes. The juice may contain an oil phase trapped within the suspended solids, or the oil may be removed as pulp oil and provided separately. The pulp remaining after juice removal provides for extraction of "sea buckthorn yellow", a pigment that has potential use as a food coloring material. The seed is a source of seed oil, which is very unsaturated and shows promise, because of its light absorption and emollient properties, as an ingredient in cosmetics, phytopharmaceuticals, or UV skin protectant preparations. It may be prepared by conventional extraction techniques or by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. The manufacture of the main products derived from sea buckthorn is described, including several examples from the patent literature. The available compositional data for the main products are tabulated to form a comprehensive source of information on the manufacture and composition of sea buckthorn products.     

Stress in veterinary science students: a study at the University of Queensland

This paper reports on the results of a survey of selected University of Queensland (UQ) veterinary students aimed at elucidating factors causing stress during the five undergraduate years of the program. Students from each of the five years were asked to form six- or seven-member focus groups. Each focus group was then interviewed and their opinions sought on causes of ongoing stress and the ranking of those causes into predetermined categories. They were also asked to give their opinions on counseling services available within the university and what, if any, services they would like to see in place to help students with stress-related problems. Students in the first, third, and fourth years of the program rated academic issues as the most likely causes of ongoing stress, while students in the second and fifth years of the program ranked lifestyle and financial issues as more likely to cause ongoing stress. In most cases, students coped well with these causes of stress and tended not to use counseling services available to all UQ students. When faced with stressful issues, students looked to their classmates or family members for help and not to university counseling services. Students were also happy to approach staff members in the Veterinary School when faced with a problem. The authors nevertheless conclude that mechanisms set in place at the undergraduate level to help veterinary students cope with stress should particularly benefit those students when they become new graduates and are faced with the stresses of veterinary practice.     

Adventitious root formation in Grevillea (Proteaceae), an Australian native species

Grevillea (Proteaceae) is a native Australian plant genus with high commercial value as landscape ornamentals. There has been limited research on the culture and propagation of Australian native species. The effect of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on the rooting of G.‘Royal Mantle’ and G.‘Coastal Dawn’ in winter, spring and summer was evaluated at University of Queensland Gatton, Southern Queensland in order to determine the rooting ability of this species in different seasons. Both Grevillea cultivars showed seasonal rooting. The more difficult-to-root G.‘Coastal Dawn’ had a reduced response to IBA application than G. ‘Royal Mantle’. Stem and leaf indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels were not different between cultivars, therefore rooting ability between the two cultivars does not appear to be due to the differences in endogenous IAA levels.     

Altered protein expression in neutrophils of calves treated with dexamethasone

The effect of glucocorticoid treatment on protein expression in bovine neutrophils was examined with a proteomic approach to address the mechanisms by which stress alters neutrophil function and predisposes to bacterial pneumonia in cattle. Calves 6 to 8 mo old were treated with dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg), neutrophils were isolated 24 h later, and whole-cell lysates were examined by 2-dimensional electrophoresis. Differentially expressed protein spots were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting. The antimicrobial protein lactotransferrin was detected at increased amounts in the neutrophils of the dexamethasone-treated calves. Proteins detected at reduced amounts in the neutrophils of the dexamethasone-treated calves included annexin 1, phosphoglycerate mutase, Na(+) - K+ ATPase, and cathelicidin 1. These findings identify glucocorticoid-induced changes in the levels of neutrophil proteins involved in host defense, inflammation, and cellular metabolism and suggest additional mechanisms by which glucocorticoids affect neutrophil function.     

Unilateral failure of development of mandibular premolars and molars in an Eastern Grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) and its effects on molar progression

An adult male Eastern Grey kangaroo from a wildlife reserve near Melbourne was submitted for necropsy examination and was discovered to have abnormal dentition. There was no evidence that any premolars or molars had ever been present on the right mandible, whilst the incisors were normal. The age of the kangaroo was estimated to be 1 year 9 months using the right maxillary molars and 2 years 4 months old using the contralateral side, presumably due to the asymmetry of the dental arcades. 'Lumpy jaw', a common periodontal disease of kangaroos, from which Bacteroides sp was cultured, was present on the base of the vertical ramus of the left mandible. Complete unilateral absence of premolar and molar teeth in the mandible of a kangaroo has not been described. This condition affected molar progression in both sets of maxillary molars.     

Structure and Pasting Properties of Oat Starch

Following a period of declining food use, oats are now increasing in importance because of perceived nutritional benefits. The pasting properties of oat starch were regarded as similar to those of other cereal starches until the development of instruments with a more rapid mixing system than the amylograph showed characteristic differences in oats. These differences in pasting properties offer opportunities for novel products in both food and industrial areas. The structure, composition, and pasting properties of oat starch are reviewed, with particular emphasis on methods of measurement. Future directions of research in this area are suggested.