Physical, chemical, and biological properties of S-allylcysteine (SAC) were investigated. SAC showed stable properties under tested conditions, and its acute/subacute toxicity was very minor in mice and rats (LD(50) value >54.7 mM/kg po; >20 mM/kg ip). The pharmacokinetics of SAC was investigated after oral administration of garlic supplement containing SAC to human volunteers. SAC from garlic consumption was rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, however, the half-life and excretion time were more than 10 h and 30 h, respectively.

No abstract

Feeding artificial micro diets instead of diatoms may allow a more constant and controlled form of nutrition, and thus results in lower mortality rate and increased growth. A 4‐week trial was conducted to determine the growth and survival of postlarval Haliotis discus discus (Reeve.) postlarvae fed three experimental micro particle diets, and naturally occurring diatoms. A completely randomized design was adopted with each diet being replicated three times. All diets varied in terms of particle size and gross composition. Survival rate was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the diatom diet (19.5 ± 2.1%) when compared with the K‐1 diet (38.8 ± 8.9%), the K‐2 diet (43.7 ± 5.6%) and the MD‐Q diet (44.2 ± 14.8%). The size of postlarvae fed the four diets was not significantly different (P > 0.05). There was also little difference in the daily growth rate. Based on the results of this work for the preliminary implementation of artificial food as a replacement diet for diatoms, it seems that postlarval H. discus discus readily consumes artificial micro particle diets and has a superior survival rate when compared to that of diatoms.

A number of chemical carcinogens have been used to study the process of esophageal carcinogenesis. Among the most prominent of these models is the induction of cancer of the esophagus in the rat by the nitrosamine N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBA). In the rat, tumors can occur within 15 weeks of carcinogen administration. The rat model has been used to investigate the mechanism of action of several chemopreventive agents. Among these, the garlic-derived agent diallyl sulfide has been shown to be a specific inhibitor of NMBA metabolism. Other investigators have used the model to seek out the relationship of dietary factors and alcohol in esophageal tumorigenesis. With striking histologic parallels to human esophageal carcinoma, the NMBA model provides useful information to study this cancer.0 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Two 21 day experiments were conducted to determine whether microparticulate diets could be used to substitute for diatoms for raising (Experiment 1) as well as settling and on‐growing (Experiment 2) Haliotis diversicolor supertexta postlarvae. The experiments were conducted in 10 L flow‐through tanks and each diet had three replicate tanks. In experiment 1, three experimental microparticulate diets supplied by a commercial feed company, labelled SF‐15, SF‐15 (T) and JFY‐13–1, were used, and in experiment 2, SF‐15 and SF‐15 (T). Artificial diets were compared to diatoms in terms of supporting growth and survival. The survival rate for experiment 1 was lowest for JFY‐13–1 (0%) and highest for diatoms (12.9±0.8%). The final size of postlarvae fed SF‐15 and SF‐15 (T) was significantly greater than that of postlarvae fed diatoms, 973±193 μm and 996±220 μm compared to 786±141 μm. In experiment 2, a total number of 501 larvae settled onto plates covered with SF‐15, 254 on SF‐15 (T) and 1085 on diatoms. The highest survival rate was 33.1±6.9% for SF‐15 and the lowest was 17.3±5.0% for diatoms. However, the final length of postlarvae fed diatoms was significantly greater than SF‐15 and SF‐15 (T); 1018±379 μm compared to 728±89 μm and 717±90 μm. The artificial micro diets used in this study were comparable to diatoms in terms of grow and survival of postlarval H. diversicolor supertexta.