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.

No abstract

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.

No abstract

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).