Browsing by Author "Jayasinghe, J.A.V.R."

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    Inhibitory Effects of Andrographis paniculata Water Extracts against Glycation-Induced Cross-Linking
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) Karunananda, H.T.A.R.; Jayasinghe, J.A.V.R.; Perera, H.K.I.; Bandara, A.M.P.S.T.M.
    Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that causes an increase in blood glucose level, which can lead to the acceleration of glycation-induced protein cross-linking and associated complications. It has been a major health issue worldwide affecting over 400 million people. In Sri Lanka, one in twelve adults suffers from diabetes. Past studies have shown that Ayurvedic medicine can be used for the treatment of diabetes. A study was designed to investigate the anti-glycation effects of water extracts of Andrographis paniculata (AP). Sonicated (APS) and boiled (APB) samples of AP leaves were prepared by sonicating for 1 hr and boiling for 1 hr respectively. Extracts at concentrations of 0.02%, 0.1% and 0.2% (w/v) were incubated with lysozyme and fructose at 37°C and pH 7.4 for 7 days. Incubation was also done with standard glycation inhibitor aminoguanidine (AG) as a positive control and other controls in replace of extracts. After 7 days, products of protein cross-linking in the incubation mixtures were detected using Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). High molecular weight products representing dimer, trimer, and tetramer were observed in the negative control containing fructose but no AG and extract, indicating the occurrence of protein cross-linking. Such products were not observed in the positive control (AG), confirming the inhibition of glycation. Similarly, APS and APB showed dose-dependent inhibition of protein cross-linking at all three concentrations, with a complete protein cross-linking inhibition observed at a concentration of 0.2%. Despite being to a slightly lesser degree than APS, the presence of glycation inhibition in APB indicates good thermal stability of AP. In conclusion, AP water extracts can be used to prevent diabetic complications and due to its thermal stability, can be used as a home remedy. Keywords: Glycation, Cross-linking, Antidiabetic, Andrographis paniculata
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    Soil Organic Carbon and Interdependencies among Soil Physio-Chemical Parameters of Mangrove Dominated Ecosystem at Palakaimunai in Mannar Region, Sri Lanka
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Dissanayake, D.D.M.O.; Jayasinghe, J.A.V.R.; Perera, G.A.D.; Kadupitiya, H.K.; Seneweera, S.; Ratnayake, R.R.
    Palakaimunai, positioned at North Western coast of Sri Lanka, has been shaped and influenced by oceanic, terrestrial and anthropogenic activities to varying extent. The natural vegetation in this deltatic system is dominated with mangroves with intermittently spreading saltmarsh patches at the foreground and littoral woodland species at the back. The extent which the mangroves in such seasonally dry tropical climates would provide sediment-grounds for soil carbon and other nutrients is yet to be revealed. Therefore, spatial variation of soil carbon and carbon fractions, and the associations of these to available nutrients in Palakaimunai mangals were examined in this study. Stratified random sampling adhering to 10 m × 10 m grids based on ArcGIS were laid and soil sampling (n=30) was done from the layer of 0-15 cm from surface. Samples were analyzed for available nitrate, phosphate and ammonium, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POC), water soluble carbon (WSC) and soil organic carbon (SOC), soil macro and micro nutrient cations. Principal component (PC) analysis and agglomerative hierarchical clustering based on geometric positioning under PCs revealed five clusters indendogram, despite there was a high spatial heterogeneity examined soil parameters over the area. Interdependencies were unreciprocated among pH (+) to SOC (-) and WSC (-) and ammonium (-) and zinc (-) to MBC (+). The samples in the clusters with the highest mean SOC content of 11.3%- 14.0% and was associated with low MBC (0.005% ± 0.007) , high POC (712.23 ± 6.97 mg/kg), high WSC (0. 15% - 0.16%) and high ammonium (14.2 ± 8.5 mg/kg) contents. Nevertheless, the samples in the cluster with the lowest SOC content of 1.99 ± 1.54 was found to be associated with the highest availability of nitrate (2.90 ± 0.78) and lowest of phosphate (14.98 ± 6.02 mg/kg) contents. These highest SOC contents were recorded at proximate substratum with Avicenia and Rhizophora species and within frequently saturated substratum. Simultaneously, low MBC content was related with the above prevailing aneroxic condition. Thereby, generalization over in-site SOC may not verify the carbon sink potentiality thus varied by geomorphological traits. Keywords: Blue carbon ecosystems; MBC; WSC; Cluster analysis; SOC