A New Herbal Medicine Formulation with Potential Anti-scabies Properties to Treat Demodex and Sarcoptes Parasites.

Scabies is considered an external parasite notorious for its high prevalence causing severe and contagious skin lesions in humans and animals worldwide. This study has introduced a medicine to treat dogs infested with scabies (variants of Demodex, Sarcoptes, Psoroptes, Otodectes, etc.). The present study offers a no-side-effect herbal formulation to treat dogs infested with scabies. Unlike oral and injectable medicines, which take the form of an ointment and are topically applied on-site, this medicinal formulation can be easily used without concerns over its side effects or consumption dosages. This medicinal formulation requires no skin rinsing due to its herbal and high skin absorption properties, as recovery may take less than a month with a maximum of two times of application. To carry out the experiment, 25 sick dogs with various breeds and ages suspected of scabies were gathered. Following accurate morphological examinations of all the samples, a deep skin chip of the lesion site was provided, which was examined by a microscope. Then, 13 dogs (Mix, Terrier, Pug, Husky, Spitz) were infested with Demodex scabies and 12 dogs (Pittbull, Mix, Shih Tzu, Terrier, Boxer, Setter) with Sarcoptic scabies. The prepared product was topically administered at a constant 2% dosage to the bodies of all the samples. To prepare the ointment, 1 g of Borax (Na2B4O7·10H2O) was first dissolved in 35 g deionized water and heated to 70°C. Then, 45 g of liquid paraffin (CnH2n+2) was mixed with 1 g of Carvacrol (C10H14O) and 1 g of geranium (C10H18O) and stirred well to become a phase. Later, 17 g of the melted beeswax (C15H31COOC30H61) was added to the liquid paraffin compound. In the end, the aqueous phase was added to the oil phase, and the mixture process immediately began in one direction with a glass stirrer and continued until the product cooled down. Essential oils (EO) was obtained by steam distillation of fresh Thyme and Rose-Acented Geranium in a stainless steel distillation apparatus (alembic) for 3 h. The main components of the essential oils used in the formulation were performed using a Hewlett-Packard GC system interfaced with a mass spectrometer equipped with an HP5-MS capillary column (30 m, 0.32 mm, 0.25 µm film thicknesses). For GC-MS detection, electron ionization with ionization energy of 70 eV was used. To examine the presence of scabies, weekly skin sampling was performed, and the treatment continued until 30 days, when no skin chip of the scabies was noted. The findings revealed that the formulation developed no side effects and removed the daily use, as it could be administered once or twice a week. Also, complete recovery of scabies in all the breeds was found to be less than a month at most. This medicinal formulationcan be easily used without concerns over its side effects or consumption dosages. This study introduced a herbal formulation with effective herbal ingredients without any side effects to treat the sarcoptes and demodex parasites; unlike other chemical compounds, this medicinal formulation has no side effects, while some other formulations could develop side effects.

Comparison of Mineral Oil, Insecticidal, and Biopesticide Spraying Regimes for Reducing Spread of Three Potato virus Y Strains in Potato Crops.

In-field management of Potato virus Y (PVY) faces challenges caused by the changing availability and environmental acceptability of chemical agents to control aphid vectors of the virus and by proliferation of PVY strains with different symptoms and rates of spread. From 2018 to 2020, foliar spray treatments were compared in field experiments in New Brunswick, Canada, to measure effectiveness at reducing spread of PVYO, PVYN:O, and PVYNTN strains. Mineral oil, insecticide, combined oil and insecticide spray, and a biopesticide (i.e., LifeGard WG) were compared. Insecticide-only and mineral oil-only treatments were not effective, but several combined oil and insecticide treatments and biopesticide treatments significantly reduced PVY spread. The biopesticide was proportionately more effective with recombinant PVYN:O and PVYNTN strains, possibly by exciting the plant's hypersensitive resistance response, caused naturally only in cultivar 'Goldrush' by PVYO. Pesticide residue analysis showed that mineral oil increased the retention of pyrethroid insecticide in the potato foliage longer than with insecticide applied alone, which may explain the beneficial synergistic effect of combined sprays for reducing PVY spread. Tuber yields were generally unchanged in chemical insecticide treatments but were slightly lower in biopesticide treatment. The cost per PVY treatment was competitive across all effective treatments, including biopesticide; however, there was some revenue loss from lower yield with the biopesticide. This biopesticide is certified organic, however, and thus a small premium on the price for organic production could offset this yield deficit.

Behavioral effects induced by organic insecticides can be exploited for a sustainable control of the Orange Spiny Whitefly Aleurocanthus spiniferus.

The Orange Spiny Whitefly (OSW) Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) represents a new serious threat to Citrus spp., grapevine and ornamental plants in the whole Mediterranean area. Such threat urgently calls for the development of a sustainable control strategy, including insecticides compatible with biological control, and applicable also in organic citrus farming that represent an essential part of Mediterranean agricultural economy. Therefore, we evaluated the toxicity and the effects on host searching, oviposition, and probing and feeding behavior exerted on OSW by organic insecticides supposed to have limited side effects on environment and ecosystem services, i.e. sweet orange essential oil (EO), extract of Clitoria ternatea (CT), mineral oil, pyrethrin and azadirachtin. Despite none of the compounds caused a significant mortality of any of the OSW instars, we observed interesting effects on whitefly behavior: (i) EO and pyrethrin showed a relevant repellent effect, with impairment of both adults landing and oviposition on treated plants; (ii) CT and pyrethrin strongly affected probing behavior. Here, in the light of our findings, we discuss possible OSW sustainable control strategies and further research perspectives.

Parameters of the Mouse Embryo Assay that affect detection of peroxides in mineral oil.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Can culture conditions influence the sensitivity of a Mouse Embryo Assay and its potential to detect peroxide-related toxicity in mineral oil samples? DESIGN: Protein type and concentration, embryo density and culture dish design were selected as the variables in the culture system with the potential to influence the assay's sensitivity. Fresh 1-cell mouse embryos were cultured under mineral oil samples with known peroxide concentrations. Protein type (human serum albumin [HSA] + α/ß-Globulins versus HSA versus bovine serum albumin [BSA]), concentration (5 mg/ml versus 0.5 mg/ml), embryo density (25 versus 3 µl/embryo) and culture dish (Petri versus micro-well dish) were adjusted to define the culture conditions with the highest sensitivity. RESULTS: High concentrations of peroxides can be easily detected by current quality control standards. However, for oil samples with a lower concentration of peroxides, supplementing the culture medium with 5 mg/ml of HSA + alpha/beta-globulins or with HSA resulted in an increased detection of embryo toxicity compared with when BSA was used as the protein supplement. The sensitivity of the assay was greatly reduced when embryos were cultured in groups and when certain micro-well dishes were used. CONCLUSIONS: Current quality control protocols may not be sensitive enough to identify low concentrations of peroxides, which, if undetected, can increase over time and become potentially harmful during gamete and embryo culture. The different parameters established in this study allow the sensitivity of the Mouse Embryo Assays to be optimized to specifically detect peroxides in mineral oil samples prior to their release into the market and their broad use in human IVF.

Activity of additives and their effect in formulations of Metarhizium anisopliae s.l. IP 46 against Aedes aegypti adults and on post mortem conidiogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Oil formulations of entomopathogenic fungi have interest for biological mosquito control. OBJECTIVES: The activities of M. anisopliae s.l. IP 46 conidia were tested in Aedes aegypti adults either without any formulation or formulated with vegetable or mineral oil and in combination with diatomaceous earth. FINDINGS: IP 46 was highly active against adults, the vector of important arboviruses in the tropics and subtropics. At an exposure of adults to 3.3 × 107 conidia/cm2, values of lethal times TL50 and TL90 reached minimal 3.8 and 4.6 days, respectively, and lethal concentrations LC50 and LC90 were 2.7 × 105 and 2.4 × 106 conidia/cm2, respectively, after 10 days of exposure. Activity against adults was improved by diatomaceous earth (KeepDry® KD) combined with mineral oil (Naturol® N) or vegetable oil (Graxol® G). Additives KD or N separately (and G to a lesser extent) or in combination, KD + N and KD + G without conidia had also a clear adulticidal effect. Efficacy of conidia formulated or not with KD + N decreased somewhat at shorter exposure periods. Time of exposure (0.017, 12, 48, 72 or 120 h) of adults to KD and N or IP 46 or conidia and KD and N had no significant effect on mortality. M. anisopliae s.l. recycled on fungus-killed mosquitoes producing high quantities of new conidia regardless of the conidial concentrations or formulations tested. Additives tested had no clear effect on quantitative conidiogenesis on cadavers. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Formulations of IP 46 conidia with mineral oil and diatomaceous earth represent a promising tool for the development of potent strategies of focal control of this important vector with entomopathogenic fungi.

Laboratory and field tests for risk assessment of metsulfuron-methyl-based herbicides for soil fauna.

Metsulfuron-methyl is one of the most used sulfonylurea herbicides, being applied alone in pre-emergence and with a mineral oil (as adjuvant) in post-emergence. In risk assessment of pesticides, ecotoxicity tests have been applied to assess the effects of products and mixtures under laboratory conditions, but they are limited in their ecological relevance when compared to field assessments. Considering the differences between laboratory and field exposure, and the lack of data on the effects of metsulfuron-methyl in natural soils, this study consisted in a set of tests to assess the ecotoxicity of this herbicide applied alone, combined with an adjuvant (mineral oil) and the adjuvant applied alone, both under laboratory and field exposure, with artificial and natural soil respectively. Reproduction tests with four non-target soil invertebrates species were performed in laboratory, while two experiments were performed in field evaluating avoidance behaviour, feeding activity, mesofauna abundance and pesticide residual. Laboratory results showed that metsulfuron-methyl alone is not a threat to soil fauna on the recommended doses. However, the presence of mineral oil as adjuvant showed ecotoxicity to Eisenia andrei, Enchytraeus crypticus and Proisotoma minuta on laboratory tests. Field evaluations indicated that metsulfuron-methyl and the adjuvant do not impaired the feeding activity of the soil fauna. The low abundance of native communities could be related to soil management. Results showed that laboratory and field evaluations are necessary to better understanding of the effects of pesticides to soil fauna and adjuvant addition should be considered on pesticides risk assessment.

Importance of oil overlay for production of porcine embryos in vitro.

Technologies to edit the zygote genome have revolutionized biomedical research not only for the creation of animal models for the study of human disease but also for the generation of functional human cells and tissues through interspecies blastocyst complementation technology. The pig is the ideal species for these purposes due to its great similarity in anatomy and physiology to humans. Emerging biotechnologies require the use of oocytes and/or embryos of good quality, which might be obtained using in vitro production (IVP) techniques. However, the current porcine embryo IVP systems are still suboptimal and result in low monospermic fertilization and blastocyst formation rates and poor embryo quality. During recent years, intensive investigations have been performed to evaluate the influence of specific compounds on gametes and embryos and to avoid the use of undefined supplements (serum and serum derivate) in the incubation media. However, little consideration has been given to the use of the mineral oil (MO) to overlay incubation droplets, which, albeit being a routine component of the IVP systems, is a totally undefined and thus problematic product for the safety of gametes and embryos. In this review, we provide an overview on the advantages and disadvantages of using MO to cover the incubation media. We also review one important concern in IVP laboratories: the use of oils containing undetected contamination. Finally, we discuss the effects of different types of oils on the in vitro embryo production outcomes and the transfer of compounds from oil into the culture media.

Alternatives to mineral oil adjuvants in vaccines against Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida in rainbow trout offer reductions in adverse effects.

In an effort to reduce the frequency and severity of adverse reactions seen from the use of mineral oil adjuvants in salmonid fish, the effects of two alternative adjuvants were assessed, focusing on the induction of adverse effects as well as protection. Using rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) as recipients, injection vaccines based on formalin-inactivated Aeromonas salmonicida subspecies salmonicida were formulated with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides, the liposomal cationic adjuvant formulation 01 (CAF01) or with Freund's incomplete adjuvant and administered intraperitoneally. Control groups of unvaccinated, Tris-buffered saline-injected or bacterin-injected individuals were included, and each group included in the study held a total number of 240 individuals. Subsequently, individuals from each group were examined for differences in Fulton's condition factor, macro- and microscopic pathological changes, as well as protection against experimental infection with A. salmonicida. While adverse effects were not eliminated, reductions in microscopic and macroscopic adverse effects, in particular, were seen for both the nucleotide- and liposome-based vaccine formulations. Furthermore, the induced protection appears similar to that of the benchmark formulation, thus introducing viable, potential alternative types of adjuvants for use in future fish vaccines.

In vivo confocal Raman microscopic determination of depth profiles of the stratum corneum lipid organization influenced by application of various oils.

BACKGROUND: The intercellular lipids (ICL) of stratum corneum (SC) play an important role in maintaining the skin barrier function. The lateral and lamellar packing order of ICL in SC is not homogenous, but rather depth-dependent. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the influence of the topically applied mineral-derived (paraffin and petrolatum) and plant-derived (almond oil and jojoba oil) oils on the depth-dependent ICL profile ordering of the SC in vivo. METHOD: Confocal Raman microscopy (CRM), a unique tool to analyze the depth profile of the ICL structure non-invasively, is employed to investigate the interaction between oils and human SC in vivo. RESULTS: The results show that the response of SC to oils' permeation varies in the depths. All oils remain in the upper layers of the SC (0-20% of SC thickness) and show predominated differences of ICL ordering from intact skin. In these depths, skin treated with plant-derived oils shows more disordered lateral and lamellar packing order of ICL than intact skin (p<0.05). In the intermediate layers of SC (30-50% of SC thickness), the oils do not influence the lateral packing order of SC ICL (p>0.1), except plant-derived oils at the depth 30% of SC thickness. In the deeper layers of the SC (60-100% of SC thickness), no difference between ICL lateral packing order of the oil-treated and intact skin can be observed, except that at the depths of 70-90% of the SC thickness, where slight changes with more disorder states are measured for plant-derived oil treated skin (p<0.1), which could be explained by the penetration of free fatty acid fractions in the deep-located SC areas. CONCLUSION: Both oil types remain in the superficial layers of the SC (0-20% of the SC thickness). Skin treated with mineral- and plant-derived oils shows significantly higher disordered lateral and lamellar packing order of ICL in these layers of the SC compared to intact skin. Plant-derived oils significantly changed the ICL ordering in the depths of 30% and 70-90% of the SC thickness, which is likely due to the penetration of free fatty acids in the deeper layers of the SC.

Studies on the antibody response and side effects after intramuscular and intraperitoneal injection of Atlantic lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) with different oil-based vaccines.

Atlantic lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) is used as a biological delousing agent for sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis K.) infestations in Norwegian aquaculture. Here, we present a study on the antibody response and vaccine side effects after intramuscular and intraperitoneal injection of lumpfish with two vaccines. Both vaccines contained bacterial antigens from atypical Aeromonas salmonicida A-layer types V and VI, Vibrio anguillarum serotype O1 and Moritella viscosa sp., but one vaccine contained a vegetable oil-based adjuvant, while the other contained a mineral oil-based adjuvant. Intramuscular injection of the mineral oil-based vaccine caused a high acute mortality of fish within 48 hr after immunization. Intraperitoneal injection of the mineral oil-based vaccine resulted in a lower severity of intra-abdominal side effects than the vegetable oil-based vaccine. Intramuscular injection of the mineral oil-based vaccine resulted in a significantly higher antibody response against A. salmonicida when compared to controls and the vegetable oil-based vaccine group. The antibody response was poor against V. anguillarum and M. viscosa for all groups. Our results indicate that intramuscular injection of oil-based vaccines might be feasible for providing immunological protection for Atlantic lumpfish against bacterial diseases, especially atypical A. salmonicida, but more work is required to identity optimal adjuvants.

Custom-made antibiotic cement nails: a comparative study of different fabrication techniques.

INTRODUCTION: The management of intramedullary long bone infections remains a challenge. Placement of antibiotic cement nails is a useful adjuvant to the antibiotic treatment of osteomyelitis. However, fabrication of antibiotic cement nails can be arduous. The purpose of this article is to introduce an easy and reproducible technique for the fabrication of antibiotics cement nails. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared the time required to peel the chest tube off the 6 antibiotic cement nail using 2 different cement-cooling techniques and the addition of mineral oil in the chest tube. Additionally, we evaluated the optimal time to cut the chest tube (before and after cement hardening), consistency of nail's diameter, and the roughness of its surface. Cooling and peeling times were measured and failure was defined as a working time (from cement mixing to have a usable antibiotic cement nail) that exceeded 1 h. RESULTS: When the antibiotic cement nail was left to cool by convection (i.e. air-cooling), we failed to peel the plastic off the cement nail. When the chest tube was cut after conductive cooling (i.e. cold water-cooled), the cooling time was 10 min and the peeling time was 30 min without the use of mineral oil; the addition of mineral oil reduced peeling time to 7.5 min. Following peeling, residual adherent plastic pieces were found along the entire surface of the nail when no mineral oil was used. This was rarely seen when mineral oil was utilized to coat the inner layer of the chest tube. CONCLUSION: Conductively cooling of the cement nail (in cold water) and pre-lubricating the chest tube with mineral oil are 2 tricks that render fabrication of antibiotic nail more efficient, reliable, and practical.

Entrapment in plasma microparticles: a promising strategy for antigen delivery.

We report the preparation of plasma microparticles (PMPs) from autologous blood plasma for sustained in vivo delivery of the entrapped antigens. The PMPs were prepared by high speed-stirring of calcium-enriched plasma, mixed with the antigen to be entrapped, in mineral oil. The preparation of PMPs did not necessitate addition of any external protein/enzyme nor special laboratory setup. Our results suggest that the PMPs release the entrapped invertase in a sustained manner both in vitro and in vivo, especially after crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. The preparations are reasonably stable to proteolysis and constitute strong candidates for eliciting immune response. Induction of humoral immune response by the PMP-entrapped invertase, as evident from the high antibody titers, was remarkable and comparable with that observed in animals receiving the antigen emulsified with Freund's Complete Adjuvant. Isotypic analysis of antibodies showed a Th1-biased immune response in animals administered uncrosslinked or crosslinked PMPs-entrapped invertase, especially after a booster dose. The analysis in animals of the group immunized with adjuvant-emulsified antigen suggested a combined Th1 and Th2 response. PMP-entrapment also caused high expression of surface markers (CD80 and CD86) on antigen presenting cells, as well as effector T-cells surface markers (CD4(+) and CD8(+) ) as revealed by FACS. The study suggests that PMPs offer remarkable promise as adjuvant-free and biocompatible vaccine delivery systems.

In vitro effects of coital lubricants and synthetic and natural oils on sperm motility.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of coital lubricants and oils on sperm motility. DESIGN: Comparative prospective in vitro study. SETTING: University Andrology laboratory. PATIENT(S): Twenty-two normozoospermic donors. INTERVENTION(S): Semen samples were incubated in modified human tubal fluid (mHTF) control and in 10% Pre-Seed, Astroglide, and KY products (Sensitive, Warming, and Tingling) and baby, canola, sesame, and mustard oils. Total and progressive sperm motility was evaluated before and at 5, 30, and 60 minutes of incubation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Sperm motility. RESULT(S): Control samples exhibited no significant decrease in sperm motility. Pre-Seed showed a slight (∼4%) but significant drop in progressive motility after 30 minutes. Total and progressive sperm motility significantly declined under Astroglide, KY products (Sensitive, Warming, and Tingling) and sesame oil incubation. Canola oil significantly decreased total motility after 30 minutes and progressive motility after 5 minutes of incubation. Similarly, baby oil decreased total motility after 60 minutes and progressive motility after 5 minutes. After initial decline, total and progressive sperm motility under Pre-Seed and canola and baby oils remained high. Exposure to mustard oil caused persistent hyperactivation of sperm in each sample with no decrease in motility. CONCLUSION(S): Sesame oil and synthetic coital lubricants impaired sperm motility and may hamper fertility. Pre-Seed and canola, mustard, and baby oils showed no deleterious effect and may be considered sperm-friendly coital lubricants. Mustard oil exposure resulted in hyperactivation of sperm and needs to be studied further.

Influence of mineral, olive or sunflower oils on male reproductive parameters in vitro--the wild rodent Calomys laucha.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of oils on male reproductive parameters in Calomys laucha. Twenty-four animals were distributed into four groups and given the following substances by gavage: water, mineral oil, olive oil and sunflower oil. After 10 days of gavage, the animals were euthanised and the semen was collected from them for assessing acrosome integrity and carrying out in vitro penetration (IVP) test. Acrosome was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) for the vehicles in relation to control. In vitro penetration was reduced in all vehicles in relation to control, but only sunflower oil had statistically lower levels of reduction (P < 0.05). Oily vehicles are able to influence in vitro reproductive tests negatively, interfering in reproductive toxicological studies.

Increased humoral immune responses of pigs to foot-and-mouth disease vaccine supplemented with ginseng stem and leaf saponins.

Vaccination is a conventional approach against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in pigs. However, failure to elicit an immune response to vaccine has been reported. Our previous investigation showed that ginseng stem and leaf saponins (GSLS) and mineral oil acted synergistically to promote Th1/Th2 immune responses to FMD vaccine in mice. This study was designed to i) find the optimal doses of GSLS in oil-emulsified FMD vaccines to induce immune responses in mice and pigs and ii) to evaluate the effect of oil-emulsified FMD vaccine supplemented with GSLS on the immune responses in pigs, by measuring the serum indirect hemagglutination (IHA) titer and IgG and IgG subclass levels. The GSLS-enhanced immune response to FMD oil-emulsion vaccine depended on the dose of GSLS added to the vaccine. Addition of GSLS at a dose of 40 µg to 2 ml of FMD oil-emulsified vaccine significantly enhanced the humoral immune responses in pigs, when compared to the vaccine without GSLS (P<0.05). The increased antibodies included IgG1 and IgG2. Hence, GSLS and oil adjuvant synergistically promoted the immune responses to vaccination against FMD in pigs, and GSLS could be a promising vaccine additive to improve oil-emulsified veterinary vaccines.

Sonochemical proteinaceous microspheres for wound healing.

In this work, we report a novel approach using proteinaceous microspheres of bovine serum albumin (BSA), human serum albumin (HSA) and silk fibroin (SF) containing different organic solvents, namely n-dodecane, mineral oil and vegetable oil, to reduce the activity of human neutrophil elastase (HNE) found in high levels on chronic wounds. The ability of these devices to inhibit HNE was evaluated using porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) solution as a model of wound exudates. The results obtained indicated that the level of PPE activity can be tuned by changing the organic solvent present on different protein microspheres, thus showing an innovative way of controlling the elastase-antielastase imbalance found in chronic wounds. Furthermore, these proteinaceous microspheres were shown to be important carriers of elastase inhibitors causing no cytotoxicity in human skin fibroblasts in vitro, making them suitable for biomedical applications, such as chronic wounds.

An ex vivo, assessor blind, randomised, parallel group, comparative efficacy trial of the ovicidal activity of three pediculicides after a single application--melaleuca oil and lavender oil, eucalyptus oil and lemon tea tree oil, and a "suffocation" pediculicide.

BACKGROUND: There are two components to the clinical efficacy of pediculicides: (i) efficacy against the crawling-stages (lousicidal efficacy); and (ii) efficacy against the eggs (ovicidal efficacy). Lousicidal efficacy and ovicidal efficacy are confounded in clinical trials. Here we report on a trial that was specially designed to rank the clinical ovicidal efficacy of pediculicides. Eggs were collected, pre-treatment and post-treatment, from subjects with different types of hair, different coloured hair and hair of different length. METHOD: Subjects with at least 20 live eggs of Pediculus capitis (head lice) were randomised to one of three treatment-groups: a melaleuca oil (commonly called tea tree oil) and lavender oil pediculicide (TTO/LO); a eucalyptus oil and lemon tea tree oil pediculicide (EO/LTTO); or a "suffocation" pediculicide. Pre-treatment: 10 to 22 live eggs were taken from the head by cutting the single hair with the live egg attached, before the treatment (total of 1,062 eggs). TREATMENT: The subjects then received a single treatment of one of the three pediculicides, according to the manufacturers' instructions. Post-treatment: 10 to 41 treated live eggs were taken from the head by cutting the single hair with the egg attached (total of 1,183 eggs). Eggs were incubated for 14 days. The proportion of eggs that had hatched after 14 days in the pre-treatment group was compared with the proportion of eggs that hatched in the post-treatment group. The primary outcome measure was % ovicidal efficacy for each of the three pediculicides. RESULTS: 722 subjects were examined for the presence of eggs of head lice. 92 of these subjects were recruited and randomly assigned to: the "suffocation" pediculicide (n = 31); the melaleuca oil and lavender oil pediculicide (n = 31); and the eucalyptus oil and lemon tea tree oil pediculicide (n = 30 subjects). The group treated with eucalyptus oil and lemon tea tree oil had an ovicidal efficacy of 3.3% (SD 16%) whereas the group treated with melaleuca oil and lavender oil had an ovicidal efficacy of 44.4% (SD 23%) and the group treated with the "suffocation" pediculicide had an ovicidal efficacy of 68.3% (SD 38%). CONCLUSION: Ovicidal efficacy varied substantially among treatments, from 3.3% to 68.3%. The "suffocation" pediculicide and the melaleuca oil and lavender oil pediculicide (TTO/LO) were significantly more ovicidal than eucalyptus oil and lemon tea tree oil pediculicide (EO/LTTO) (P < 0.0001). Ranking: 1. "Suffocation" pediculicide (68.3% efficacy against eggs); 2. Melaleuca oil and lavender oil (44.4%) pediculicide; 3. Eucalyptus oil and lemon tea tree oil (3.3%) pediculicide. The "suffocation" pediculicide and TTO/LO are also highly efficacious against the crawling-stages. Thus, the "suffocation" pediculicide and TTO/LO should be recommended as first line treatments.

Efficacy of several insecticides alone and with horticultural mineral oils on light brown apple moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) eggs.

The aim of the research was to identify efficacious and less environmentally harmful treatments than the standard chlorpyrifos sprays used for the control light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), eggs on nursery stock. A series of dip experiments showed a range of responses when comparing the efficacy of insecticides on egg hatch of E. postvittana. The insecticides that compared most favorably with chlorpyrifos were lamda-cyhalothrin and gamma-cyhalothrin, and thiacloprid. Indoxacarb, novaluron, and spinosad caused significant mortality only when combined with All Seasons mineral oil. All Seasons, showed ovicidal properties when evaluated alone and demonstrated adjuvant properties when combined with the above-mentioned insecticides, except gamma-cyhalothrin and thiacloprid. Several other horticultural mineral oils performed similarly, except the efficacy of spinosad varied with the oil product used, suggesting that the oil type selected is important for some insecticide and oil combinations. Several insecticides evaluated in this study are likely candidates for further work to develop treatments against E. postvittana eggs on nursery plants. Mineral oils are ovicidal and combinations with insecticides are likely to be advantageous.

Intrauterine administration of plant oils inhibits luteolysis in the mare.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING THE STUDY: The maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP) signal in the mare has not been determined, although oestrogens have been proposed as a potential candidate. OBJECTIVES: To determine effects of intrauterine administration of oestrogen and various oils on cyclic luteolysis in the mare. HYPOTHESIS: Intrauterine oestradiol or fatty acids may suppress luteolysis in the cycling mare when administered during late dioestrus. METHODS: A single 1 ml dose of slow-release oestradiol (10 mg/ml) in fractionated coconut oil was infused into the uterine lumen of cycling mares on Days 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 post ovulation (n=12 in each group). Four further groups, each of 12 mares, received an intrauterine infusion of either 1 ml of fractionated coconut oil, peanut oil, mineral oil or a slow-release preparation of oestradiol (10 mg/ml) in mineral oil on Day 10 post ovulation. Serial blood samples were assayed for progesterone concentrations to monitor luteal function. RESULTS: Intrauterine administration of oestradiol in fractionated coconut oil showed peak efficacy at Day 10 when luteolysis was delayed in 11/12 (92%) mares. The ability of the treatment to delay luteolysis was not significantly different when administered on Days 8 (9/12; 75%), 12 (10/12; 83%) or 14 (6/12; 50%) of dioestrus, but declined significantly when given on Day 6 (3/12; 25%). Oestradiol was not needed to initiate luteostasis since fractionated coconut oil alone or peanut oil administered at Day 10 induced the same high rate of luteal persistence (11/12; 92% for both oils). In contrast, mineral oil did not prolong luteal lifespan, either when administered alone (2/12; 17%) or combined with oestradiol (3/12; 25%). CONCLUSION: These results do not unequivocally rule out a possible involvement of embryonic oestrogens in MRP in the mare but suggest it is unlikely. The results demonstrate that plant oils can postpone luteolysis, suggesting they may modulate synthesis or release of prostaglandins from the mare's endometrium. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Administration of fractionated coconut or peanut oil on Day 10 post ovulation provides an effective and practical method of prolonging luteal function ('pseudopregnancy') thereby suppressing unwanted oestrous behaviour. Further studies to elucidate the mechanism by which this is achieved may increase understanding of both luteostasis and MRP signal in the mare.

Switching attraction to inhibition: mating-induced reversed role of sex pheromone in an insect.

In the moth, Agrotis ipsilon, newly mated males cease to be attracted to the female-produced sex pheromone, preventing them from re-mating until the next night, by which time they would have refilled their reproductive glands for a potential new ejaculate. The behavioural plasticity is accompanied by a decrease in neuron sensitivity within the primary olfactory centre, the antennal lobe (AL). However, it was not clear whether the lack of the sexually guided behaviour results from the absence of sex pheromone detection in the ALs, or if they ignore it in spite of detection, or if the sex pheromone itself inhibits attraction behaviour after mating. To test these hypotheses, we performed behavioural tests and intracellular recordings of AL neurons to non-pheromonal odours (flower volatiles), different doses of sex pheromone and their mixtures in virgin and newly mated males. Our results show that, although the behavioural and AL neuron responses to flower volatiles alone were similar between virgin and mated males, the behavioural response of mated males to flower odours was inhibited by adding pheromone doses above the detection threshold of central neurons. Moreover, we show that the sex pheromone becomes inhibitory by differential central processing: below a specific threshold, it is not detected within the AL; above this threshold, it becomes inhibitory, preventing newly mated males from responding even to plant odours. Mated male moths have thus evolved a strategy based on transient odour-selective central processing, which allows them to avoid the risk-taking, energy-consuming search for females and delay re-mating until the next night for a potential new ejaculate.