Public
Service Extension
Regulatory Services
Animal Health
College of AFLS
Aquaculture, Livestock, Poultry News
8-23-02 Drought threatens livestock
6-4-01 Godley-Snell research award goes to aquaculturist
6-29-99 CU discovery delivers healthy mares and foals
6-29-99 CU researchers lower fat in milk
11-6-98 CU researchers turn crabshells into new product lines
10-20-98 CU research uses garlic to perfume poultry houses
10-4-96 CU installs new aquatic animal research facility
DATE: 6-4-01
CONTACT: Arnold G. Eversole, (864) 656-5328 aevrsl@clemson.edu
WRITER: Peter Kent, (864) 656-0937 pkent@clemson.edu
COVETED
RESEARCH AWARD GOES TO AQUACULTURIST
Scientist-teacher
Arnold G. Eversole has received Clemson University's prestigious 2001
Godley-Snell Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research.
Eversole
is the 15th faculty member recognized for agricultural research
excellence and making outstanding contributions toward improving the lives
of South Carolinians. Along with the distinction comes a check for $4,871.
Presenting
the award last month, Clemson Vice President John Kelly praised Eversole.
"This award recognizes individuals who conduct research relevant to the
needs of South Carolinians," said Kelly. "They have made a significant
impact, not only in the advancement of scientific knowledge but also in
the economic, social and policy-making arenas."
Eversole's
27 years at Clemson are a testament to his exemplary career in research
and in the classroom. Splitting his time between the two roles has not
diminished his impact in either.
His
research accomplishments outshine many faculty. yet he has also maintained
a dynamic academic program with heavy teaching and advising loads, both
at the graduate and the undergraduate levels.
A
noted expert in aquaculture and fisheries, Eversole has focused on shellfish,
bivalves and fisheries management. He has authored or co-authored more
than 60 refereed publications in influential national and international
journals.
His
work has reached an audience greater than his peers and colleagues. Understanding
the importance of a land grant university's practical mission, Eversole
has applied his findings to real-world problems, enabling the fisheries
industry to benefit. Based on research by Eversole and his colleagues,
a comprehensive manual for culturing clams in South Carolina was published,
which has become an Extension Service mainstay for clam growers. Another
co-authored publication on freshwater crawfish has been in great demand
worldwide.
As
a teacher, Eversole has graduated 34 Master of Science candidates over
the past 26 years. He has taken on more foreign students than any other
faculty member. Currently Eversole has two master's and two doctoral students.
All of the students who have graduated have gone on for advanced degrees
or entered the profession as fisheries biologists, aquaculturists, research
scientists, resource managers, extension agents or educators.
Through
his research and his work with students, Eversole has helped the aquaculture
industry in real ways. "Dr. Eversole has significantly increased the stature
of Clemson's research in the eyes of the public," said James Fischer,
Dean and Director of Agriculture and Forestry Research at Clemson.
The
Godley-Snell Award is named in honor of W. Cecil Godley, former director
of the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, and Absalom W.
Snell, former associate director. Godley established the award in 1986.
The award was increased in 1988, when Snell retired.
END
BACK TO TOP
CONTACT: Dee Cross, (864) 656-5155 dcross@clemson.edu
WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-0937 ddalhou@clemson.edu
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY DISCOVERY DELIVERS HEALTHY MARES AND FOALS
CLEMSON — A medication used to treat nausea is now helping horse breeders produce healthier mares and foals and may someday help address problems of infertility in humans. Dee L. Cross, a Clemson University animal scientist, hypothesized that the medication, now patented as Equidone™, could be useful in treating a condition called fescue toxicosis in pregnant mares.
Fescue toxicosis is caused by a fungus that infects fescue grass pastures and results in severe reproductive problems, including spontaneous abortions, prolonged pregnancy, difficulty giving birth and no milk production. Many times the foal is stillborn or dies shortly after birth; the mare can also die or have to be destroyed because of complications during delivery.
In the horse-racing industry, where stud fees are measured in six figures and sale prices can reach several million dollars, there is little margin for error in breeding programs. Aside from the investment aspect, both professional breeders and private individuals want to protect the health and well-being of their horses.
“We studied the cellular action of the alkaloids produced by the fungus-infected fescue grass,” Cross said. “The alkaloids were activating dopamine receptors that this drug was known to block when used to give relief from nausea in humans.”
The researchers tested their theory in the laboratory and found that Equidone did in fact block the activity of alkaloids extracted from the contaminated grass. They then moved to testing the treatment on horses grazing on fescue pastures and got positive results in the very first study.
The medication is now being tested by veterinarians around the country under an experimental permit from the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The results are very promising. Mares treated with the medication for 10-15 days before their anticipated foaling date are delivering healthy foals without complications and producing a normal milk supply after delivery. The medication also increases milk production in mares not suffering from fescue toxicosis.
“We think Equidone has implications for medical uses beyond horses, including humans,” Cross said.
The medication has the added benefit of stimulating production of follicles on the ovaries, suggesting that it could be used to treat problems of infertility in humans, as well as to increase the reproduction rate in horses and other livestock.
The Food and Drug Administration is now reviewing research results, with the possibility of full approval by the end of the year. A new company, called Equi-Tox®, has been formed to continue development of the medication under an agreement between the company and Clemson University. This research is funded through Clemson’s Agriculture and Forestry Research System, as well as by the company.
END
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DATE:10-4-96
CONTACT: Joe Tomasso, (864) 656-2809 jtmss@clemson.edu
WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-0937 ddalhou@clemson.edu
NEW
AQUATIC ANIMAL RESEARCH FACILITY
CLEMSON
-- Aquatic animal research
by Clemson University scientists usually takes place on the state's waterways
or in aquaculture production facilities. To this end, Clemson researchers
may be found on Lake Strom Thurmond, at the Waddell Mariculture Center
in Bluffton, and at the Marine Resource Research Institute in Charleston,
among other locations.
Now,
these scientists are also able to conduct their research in a newly equipped
facility on the main campus. The aquatic animal research facility in the
Poole Agricultural Center has recently become home to tanks of spot-tail
bass (redfish), blueback herring, white river crayfish, marine skates
and mosquito fish.
Joe
Tomasso, a fish physiologist, is coordinator of the new facility. "The
aquatic animal research facility is run for researchers, by researchers,
so administrative details are kept to a minimum," Tomasso said.
"It's not a center or a department, just a place to do research."
The
research is sponsored by Clemson Public Service Activities (PSA), as well
as by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Sea Grant Consortium and the U.S.
Department of Defense and other groups.
In
the facility, scientists from many disciplines at the university are conducting
research on a wide variety of subjects.
Tomasso
is investigating the optimal temperature and salinity level to produce
spot-tailed bass for aquaculture, or fish farming.
A.B.
Bodine, an animal scientist, is investigating the immune system of marine
skates and working with the Greenville Hospital System to apply his findings
to humans.
Jeff
Isely, a fisheries scientist, is developing a model to help the Army Corps
of Engineers predict how many bluebacked herring will be drawn to the
cool waters at the pumping station on Lake Strom Thurmond.
Arnie
Eversole, an aquaculturist, is tracking the effect of agricultural chemical
run-off on white river crayfish in a cooperative program with the Turkish
government.
These
four scientists make up the core of researchers using the aquatic animal
research facility. In addition,
there is space for various visiting researchers to conduct their investigations.
One of these is Tom LaPoint, an environmental toxicologist, who
is studying the effect of pesticides on mosquito fish in cooperation with
the U.S. Department of Defense.
"Our
work is expanding in both quantity and variety because we have the new
facilities. We're also benefiting from an exchange of ideas by having
various disciplines using the same space," Tomasso said.
An
analytical laboratory in the research facility is capable of conducting
a variety of blood and water analyses. A microscopy laboratory is equipped
to determine the age of young fish to the day.
"The
aquatic animal research facility will allow our scientists to conduct
their research under controlled conditions that are not always readily
available in nature," said Jim Fischer, director of the S.C. Agriculture
and Forestry Research System based at Clemson. "These scientists were
creative in establishing this facility that enables their research to
be more relevant to the needs of the commercial and sport fishing industries
in South Carolina."
END
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DATE:
10-20-98
CONTACT: Glenn Birrenkott, (864) 656-4019
WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-0937
GARLIC
PERFUMES POULTRY HOUSES
CLEMSON
- Garlic may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think
of air fresheners, but Clemson University scientists are finding that
it works like a charm in poultry houses ... and may lower the cholesterol
in eggs, to boot.
"We're
feeding the chickens about 3 percent of their diet in garlic powder to
mask the odor of the waste," said Glenn Birrenkott, Clemson animal and
veterinary science professor. "It makes the poultry house smell like a
pizzeria instead of manure."
As
urban populations expand into rural areas, the potential increases for
conflict between neighborhood sensibilities and farm necessities. As a
result, farmers must find creative solutions to produce the meat and eggs
suburbanites want in their grocery stores but not in their backyards.
Clemson scientists are conducting a variety of studies to address livestock
waste management as part of an initiative funded by the South Carolina
General Assembly through the South Carolina Agriculture and Forestry Research
System based at Clemson.
Birrenkott's
research found that it took about three weeks for the garlic to reduce
the poultry house odor compared to the odor from a control group of laying
hens. The researchers have already conducted taste tests and found that
people preferred the eggs produced by the garlic-eating hens.
"The
tasters said the eggs were milder from the chickens eating garlic than
from the control hens," Birrenkott said. "We think it might reduce the
sulfur content of the eggs."
While
the chickens adapted to eating garlic right away, hogs in a companion
test were more reluctant to accept the new feed.
"Hogs
have a very sensitive sense of smell. That's why they're used in France
to find truffles," Birrenkott said. After a day or so of boycotting the
feed, however, the hogs did cooperate in the study, with similar promising
results on odor control.
Chemical
analyses of the cholesterol content of the eggs and pork are also being
conducted.
While
the garlic is effective in controlling odor, it is more expensive than
basic chicken or hog feed. This means the eggs and pork may require a
premium price to be cost effective for commercial producers. However,
if the products prove to contain a lower cholesterol level, they could
qualify as specialty items because of the health benefit.
END
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DATE:
11-6-98
CONTACT: Ron Thomas, (864) 656-5697
Eddie
Gordon, (843) 887-3296
WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-0937
CLEMSON
RESEARCHERS TURN CRABSHELLS
McCLELLANVILLE
- Clemson University researchers have developed a new process to turn
crab shells into natural marketable products. Food and packaging scientists
Ronald L. Thomas and Robert F. Testin at Clemson are working with W.E.
(Eddie) Gordon, owner of the South Carolina Crab Company in McClellanville,
to process crab shells into promising new product lines.
"Ninety
percent of the shellfish is discarded in traditional seafood processing
operations around the world," Thomas said. "We've developed a process
to completely eliminate that and use 100 percent of the product."
The
process is a closed-loop system that extracts the remainder of food-grade
meat from the shells, then reduces the shells to their primary materials
- chitin and calcium - with no discharge into the environment. The chitin
can then be converted into chitosan and glucosamine, products that are
in high demand by the food supplement industry, the medical profession,
manufacturing and agriculture.
The
food supplement, or nutraceutical industry, sells glucosamine as a treatment
for chronic arthritis and chitosan as a natural fiber for reducing cholesterol
and absorbing fat. Physicians use chitosan film as an "artificial skin"
to treat burns and severe wounds because of its antimicrobial properties.
Manufacturers use chitosan as a natural polymer to remove heavy metals
from industrial waste water. Agriculture uses chitosan as a feed supplement
for hogs and as a seed coating. The cosmetic industry uses it in shampoos
and face creams.
"Chitin
is the second most abundant natural polymer in the world after cellulose,"
Thomas said. "We're just beginning to explore all its possible applications."
Gordon's
South Carolina Crab Company is developing a prototype system to process
food-grade chitin, calcium and crab meat from the shells. The system is
currently undergoing testing and refinements, with the possibility of
commercial application throughout the entire seafood processing industry.
Also on the horizon is the possibility of building a manufacturing facility
to convert the chitin into chitosan and glucosamine.
"This
partnership is an excellent example of what higher education should be
doing," said Gordon. "Clemson has developed a new technology that makes
it possible for South Carolina companies to compete in the world market.
"Lately,
there's been a decline of seafood processors in the state because the
profitability has not always been there. This technology makes it profitable
for us to compete with foreign processors."
The
partnership between Clemson and Gordon came about as a result of research
that packaging scientists Bob Testin and Pete Vergano have been conducting
on biopolymer films for food packaging since 1990. A visiting scholar
from South Korea told them about the many uses of chitosan in Asia, including
as a biopolymer film.
This
led the Clemson researchers to contact Gordon as a supplier of crab shells
that they processed into chitosan in their laboratory. This evolved into
a mutual interest to develop a commercial processing operation that would
utilize the shells and produce a second income source for seafood processors.
Clemson food and packaging scientist Ron Thomas was the one who developed
this process.
"We
took the Korean technology and combined it with filtration technology
to create this closed-loop, non-polluting system," said Thomas. "It puts
a new twist on seafood processing. Now, processors can probably make more
money from the shells than from the crab meat alone."
This
research is supported by the South Carolina Agriculture and Forestry Research
System based at Clemson. "This is an excellent example of how Clemson's
public service research benefits South Carolina's industries and private
citizens," said James R. Fischer, director of the research system.
END
DATE:
6-29-99
CONTACT: Thomas C. Jenkins, (864) 656-2707 tjnkns@clemson.edu
WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-0937
CLEMSON
RESEARCHERS LOWER FAT
CLEMSON
- Clemson University researchers are lowering the saturated fat content
in milk - while it's still in the cow - by adding fatty acid to the cow's
diet.
Thomas
C. Jenkins, a Clemson animal scientist holds a patent on the formula that
combines fatty acid and ammonia in the feed. This lowers the overall fat
content in the milk and changes the remaining fat to the more healthful
monounsaturated form found in canola or olive oil.
"Feeding
fat to dairy cattle is done routinely to give them more energy so they
can produce more milk," Jenkins said. "But this fat is different because
it gives consumers a product that also lowers the saturated fat in the
milk."
It
is saturated fat that has been linked to human health problems, including
heart disease, digestive disorders and some forms of cancer. The long-term
result may be a butter that spreads right out of the refrigerator or rich-tasting
cheese and ice cream that's actually good for you. While commercial availability
of these products is several years away, taste tests are being planned
for early next year.
The
unique fat supplement has been in development at Clemson since 1993. It
functions by altering the way cows process feed. Normally, cattle feed
contains unsaturated fat that is converted into saturated fat by microorganisms
in the cows' digestive system through a process called biohydrogenation.
Jenkins
and his colleagues theorized that attaching ammonia to fatty acid in the
feed would prevent the microorganisms from adding the hydrogen that converts
unsaturated fat into the saturated form. This approach removes saturated
fat from milk at the source by using the natural chemicals and processes
in the cow's digestive system.
As
a result of this research, Jenkins recently received the American Feed
Industry Association Award presented by the American Dairy Science Association.
His
findings are already being used by animal nutritionists seeking the proper
formulation of fat in dairy cattle diets. He is also a sought-after speaker
at national conferences on animal nutrition and dairy management.
Jenkins
earned a bachelors degree in animal science and masters degree in animal
nutrition at Pennsylvania State University and a doctoral degree in animal
nutrition from Cornell University. He was a faculty member at Ohio State
University prior to joining Clemson in 1986. He is an active member of
the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal
Science and the American Society of Nutritional Sciences.
This
research is funded through Clemson University's Agriculture and Forestry
Research System.
END
BACK
TO TOP
DATE:
6-29-99
CONTACT: Dee Cross, (864) 656-5155
WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-0937
CLEMSON
UNIVERSITY DISCOVERY
CLEMSON
- A medication used to treat nausea is now helping horse breeders produce
healthier mares and foals and may someday help address problems of infertility
in humans. Dee L. Cross, a Clemson University animal scientist, hypothesized
that the medication, now patented as EquidoneT, could be useful in treating
a condition called fescue toxicosis in pregnant mares.
Fescue
toxicosis is caused by a fungus that infects fescue grass pastures and
results in severe reproductive problems, including spontaneous abortions,
prolonged pregnancy, difficulty giving birth and no milk production. Many
times the foal is stillborn or dies shortly after birth; the mare can
also die or have to be destroyed because of complications during delivery.
In
the horse-racing industry, where stud fees are measured in six figures
and sale prices can reach several million dollars, there is little margin
for error in breeding programs. Aside from the investment aspect, both
professional breeders and private individuals want to protect the health
and well-being of their horses.
"We
studied the cellular action of the alkaloids produced by the fungus-infected
fescue grass," Cross said. "The alkaloids were activating dopamine receptors
that this drug was known to block when used to give relief from nausea
in humans."
The
researchers tested their theory in the laboratory and found that Equidone
did in fact block the activity of alkaloids extracted from the contaminated
grass. They then moved to testing the treatment on horses grazing on fescue
pastures and got positive results in the very first study.
The
medication is now being tested by veterinarians around the country under
an experimental permit from the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The
results are very promising. Mares treated with the medication for 10-15
days before their anticipated foaling date are delivering healthy foals
without complications and producing a normal milk supply after delivery.
The medication also increases milk production in mares not suffering from
fescue toxicosis.
"We
think Equidone has implications for medical uses beyond horses, including
humans," Cross said.
The
medication has the added benefit of stimulating production of follicles
on the ovaries, suggesting that it could be used to treat problems of
infertility in humans, as well as to increase the reproduction rate in
horses and other livestock.
The
Food and Drug Administration is now reviewing research results, with the
possibility of full approval by the end of the year. A new company, called
Equi-Tox®, has been formed to continue development of the medication under
an agreement between the company and Clemson University. This research
is funded through Clemson's Agriculture and Forestry Research System,
as well as by the company.
END
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