The antioxidant activity of fresh and rehydrated sea cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) samples with/without internal organs was evaluated for the first time. In addition, their proximate, amino acid, and fatty acid compositions were examined. Rehydrated sea cucumber samples in distilled water were prepared from oven-dried products. All samples contained 83-90% moisture, but showed a significant difference among groups in their protein and lipid contents. Glutamic acid was the predominant amino acid in sea cucumber, followed by glycine and aspartic acid. Essential amino acids such as leucine and lysine were also present at high levels. The trend for free amino acid was different from that of total amino acids and varied among groups. Lipids in sea cucumber were dominated by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3), ranging from 43.2 to 56.7% of the total fatty acids. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3) was present at a much lower concentration of 2.0-5.8%. All sea cucumber samples exhibited radical scavenging property against 2,2'-azobis(2-aminopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, with rehydrated samples, especially those with internal organs, possessing higher antioxidant activity than their fresh counterparts. No correlation existed between radical scavenging capacity and total phenolics content, suggesting that other components, in addition to phenolic compounds, contribute to the antioxidant activity of sea cucumber.

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The role of curriculum in higher education is sine quo non for the provision of quality and relevant educational programs and services to the current and potential learners in the USA and elsewhere in the world. Regardless of sizes, types or origins, curriculum is considered the heart and soul of all educational institutions. Curriculum is crucial for the well-being and effectiveness of higher education (Barnett & Coate, 2005) both in the short and long-term. Lamentably, it is a widely recognized notion in academia that the approach to developing curriculum is disintegrated in that minimal and isolated considerations are given to the various critical elements such as institutional leadership, social trends, industry factor and the role of the government. Therefore, this paper is dedicated to the study of existing literature on an integrative approach to curriculum development as a source of relevant, timely and comprehensive knowledge management in institutions of higher education with a particular reference to the USA.

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Oxidative stability of stripped and nonstripped borage and evening primrose oils and their emulsions in water was evaluated. The results indicated that column chromatographic techniques provide an effective means for stripping vegetable oils of their minor components. However, some minor components may be retained in the stripped oils. The minor components in borage and evening primrose oils significantly (P < 0.05) influenced their oxidative stability in the dark. In contrast, the behavior of endogenous antioxidants in borage and evening primrose oil-in-water emulsions, according to the "polar paradox" theory, was difficult to evaluate. Correlations existed between peroxide value (PV) and conjugated dienes (CD) (P < 0.05) as well as 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and hexanal content (P < 0.01) for most oils and emulsion systems. Therefore, CD and TBARS may generally be used to assess the oxidative stability of borage and evening primrose oils and their oil-in-water emulsions in addition to or in place of PV and headspace volatiles, respectively.Paper no. J9462 in JAOCS 77, 963-968 (September 2000).

Extra virgin olive oil is considered to be a high quality oil for health and nutrition and is widely consumed by the Mediterranean population. Presence of natural photosensitizers in olive oil may compromise its nutritional quality if stored in clear plastic or glass container under fluorescent light. In this study, the oxidative stability of commercial extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and its chlorophyll and tocopherol stripped counterpart (SEVOO) stored at 60C in the dark and under fluorescent light (2650 lux) was evaluated. A column chromatographic procedure using silicic acid, Celite 545, activated charcoal and powdered sugar (sucrose), and eluted with hexane, provide an effective means for stripping extra virgin olive oil from its minor components. Minor components, mainly tocopherol and other phenolic compounds as well as carotenoids in SEVOO, influenced their oxidative stability in the dark. Meanwhile, natural pigments such as chlorophyll played a major role in the photooxidation of EVOO. Therefore, commercial extra virgin oil should be protected from direct light exposure in order to protect it from the oil from photooxidative deterioration.

To devise proper strategies to evaluate and maintain the quality of cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) during storage on ice, this study examined the potential use of microbial growth, pH, lipid oxidation, and composition characteristics as quality indicators. It also evaluated the use of individual (i15:0, ai15:0, i16:0, ai16:0, i17:0, ai17:0, 17:0) and total bacterial fatty acid contents as a rapid method to examine the microbial quality of stored mussels. Linear regression analyses of the storage period of mussels vs various quality indicators indicated that the strongest correlation was between the storage period and microbial growth (r = 0.973, p < 0.0001) followed by the microbial fatty acid ai15:0 content (r = 0.903, p < 0.0001) and ash content (r = 0.819, p = 0.0002). All other correlations between the storage period and quality indicators were moderate (r = 0.500-0.700 and p < 0.05), poor (r < 0.500 and p > 0.05), or negative (r = -0.657 and p = 0.027).

The effect of individual phospholipids and tocopherols as well as their combinations on the oxidative stability of borage and evening primrose triacylglycerols (TAG) was investigated. Based on conjugated dienes (CD) and 2thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) formed in borage and evening primrose TAG, the antioxidant effectiveness of phosphatidylcholine (PC), was higher than that of phosphotidylethanolamine (PE) in borage TAG while the reverse was observed for evening primrose TAG. Meanwhile, a synergistic effect between tocopherols and phospholipids in both borage and evening primrose TAG was noted. The most effective combination in borage TAG was that of PC and atocopherol, while PE with a-tocopherol exerted the best efects in evening primrose TAG. Therefore, the antioxidant effectiveness ofphospholipidr may vary depending on their fatty acid composition, nature of the functional groups and the chemical composition of the lipid system in which they are examined. The results also demonstrate the importance of minor components of vegetable oils on their oxidative stability.