Survey on the quality of Jaadi available [in] Sri Lankan market

A quality of survey was conducted at the fish curing yards in a northwest coast and the southern coast in Sri Lanka. A total of 40 samples different varieties of fishes were collected from the market and jaadi curing yards and all were evaluated for the quality, fungal and insect infestation. Samples were analyzed for proximate composition chemical, microbiological and sensory quality. Thirty percent of the total analyzed samples of fish were found to be unfit for consumption. Samples collected from Negombo were found to the infected with maggots. Only 42% samples had dry matter above 50%. All the samples showed a protein content above 20%. The highest protein content was 27.92% in hurulla. Over 90% of the samples had TVN at acceptable quality limits (>40). The TBC for 33% of the samples were in the range 104-105/g range, while 48% were in the range of 107-108/g due to contamination of maggots and fungi. The Survey showed jaadi had a high level of protein in its composition. But defects of curing process such on imperfect cleaning inadequate salting resulted in low (Chemical and microbiological) quality of the product

Evaluation of quality of shark livers using bio-chemical properties and organoleptic score sheet

Shark livers are considered as an important raw material providing a quality fish oil. It has been reported to aid white — blood-cell production and act as an active ingredient in hemorrhoid treatments. It is also reported that liver oil as a good supplement of vitamin A and poly-unsaturated fatty acids which are important to the development of brain cells in human. Freshness of livers is very important to extract better quality oil. In Sri Lanka, the annual shark production amounts to 8000t, however the quality of livers collected from landing sites has not being measured yet. Present study was conducted to evaluate the quality of silky (Charcarninus fakiformis) shark livers available in Negombo and Beruwala landing sites in the West Coast of Sri Lanka and also to study the relationship between organoleptic and bio-chemical correlation on freshness of shark livers. Liver samples which were collected from landing sites in the West coast of Sri Lanka, were evaluated for external and internal colour, texture and odour. Total volatile nitrogen (TVN), pH value, free fatty acid (FFA%) and peroxide (PV) values of livers were also determined to assess quality. According to the organoleptic scoring system 4.3% of liver samples were categorized as best in quality while 30.4%, 56.5% and 8.7% rated as good, medium and poor in quality respectively at the Negombo and Beruwala landing sites. Bio-chemical analysis showed that the better quality livers had the highest score for sensory evaluation and low values for TVN, FFA and peroxide value while low quality livers gave low score for sensory evaluation and high TVN, FFA, peroxide values. Correlation coefficient of organoleptic scores against total volatile nitrogen value, pH value, free fatty acid % and peroxide value of shark livers were determined by statistical analysis. Organoleptic score of shark livers was found to be highly

Nutritional evaluation of some small coastal fish in Sri Lanka

Small pelagic fish play a very important role in human nutrition and health. Lipids of these fish differ remarkably from plant and other animal lipids. The aim of the study was to describe the proximate composition of thirty-three small pelagic fish species commonly available in Sri Lanka. Fish species were collected from Negombo and Chillaw fish landing sites and subjected to analysis for moisture, ash, protein and total lipid content. Tiger tooth croaker (Otolithus ruber) was found to have the highest moisture percentage (80.0%) followed by Clarias sp. (78.9%), Indian anchovy (Steloporus indicus) and Comerson's anchovy (Stelophorus commersonii), (78%). The lowest percentage of moisture, 69.4%, was recorded in white sardinella (Sardinella albella). Indian ilisha (Ilisha melastoma) was found to have the highest amount of ash (10.1%) followed by Otolithus sp. (8%) and big-eye barracuda contained the least amount (2.5%). Carassius Carassius, pick handle barracuda (Sphyraena jello) and Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) contained higher amounts of protein, 24.3, 20.6 and 19.2% respectively. The lowest protein content (10.1%) was found in Indian scad (Decapterus russelli). The protein content of the fish was in the range of 13-15%. The results revealed that the small fish are moderate protein sources. The total lipid content varied between 0.6-8%. White sardinella recorded the highest percentage of lipid (8%) where tiger tooth croaker contained the lowest percentage (0.6 %). The study showed high fatty species to contain low amount of moisture and vice versa establishing an inverse relation between fat and moisture quantitatively

Solar Cooling – A Green Energy Solution for Reducing Food Losses

According to the recent reports of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year get lost or wasted globally, while 800 million people are going into hungry. Saving ¼ of the food which is been wasted will provide the opportunity to feed this 800 million people. Food waste refers in to throwing perfectly edible food into trash at the consumption level while food loss refers to the losses which occur along the food chain that is at the production, harvesting, post-harvest activities and processing phases. Poor handling transport, storage facilities and lack of correct infrastructure cause post-harvest food losses in developing countries. Fresh products like fruits, vegetables, meat and fish straight from the farm or after the harvest can be spoilt in hot climates due to lack of infrastructure for correct transportation, storage, cooling and marketing. Sri Lankan scenario is not much different to the rest of the world where there is about 10-40% loss in fruits and vegetables within food supply chain. There are no country wide valid estimates of looses among other food commodities. Sri Lanka located close to the equator, receives an abundant supply of solar radiation throughout the year. Solar radiation over the island does not show a marked seasonal variation. Due to these reasons, solar cooling is a promising technology to address reducing food losses in Sri Lanka. Solar cooling technology can be applied for food preservation by using it to generate ice or for refrigeration. Different types of ice (blocks or flakes) are typically used to keep fish or milk within the conservation temperature range. These types of ice making facilities are globally available and managed by a community or a cooperative. Solar refrigerators are used for the purpose of conserving fruits and vegetables which operates at a temperature below 100 C. There are many solar refrigeration technologies available such as well known solar photovoltaic systems, solar absorption systems and, solar adsorption systems. Each of these technologies have their own advantages and limitations and most of these technologies are still at the developing stage. There is a global trend towards harnessing solar energy for food preservation and this will be a promising technology to reduce food losses in Sri Lanka.Keywords: Solar cooling, Solar refrigeration, Food losse

Preliminary Study of Mineral Constituents in Selected Cultivars of Root and Tuber Crops in Sri Lanka

A study was done to determine the levels of minerals (Calcium, Magnesium, Iron,Potassium and Zinc) in three different cultivars of yams (D. alata and D. esculenta),Xanthosoma sp and four different cultivars of sweet potatoes (Ipomea batatas Lam) fromdifferent regions in Sri Lanka. Yams (Rajala, Hingurala and Kukulala), Xanthosoma sp(Kiriala) and sweet potatoes (Swp3, Swp4, Swp5 and Swp7) were prepared for analysis 2– 3 days after harvesting. Flour samples were subjected to ashing using AOAC (1980)method and mineral constituents were analysed using Atomic AbsorptionSpectrophotometer (AAS). Variation in mineral constituents on dry weight basis wereanalysed using ANOVA, Tukey‟s HSD test (p< 0.05) Minitab. All three cultivars ofyams had significant levels (p< 0.05) of Calcium and Iron and high level of Magnesiumwas observed in Kiriala (45.27± 0.31 mg 100g-1). A significantly high level of Iron andPotassium (p<0.05) was observed in Rajala and Sweet potatoes respectively. Swp5cultivar contained a comparatively high amount of Calcium and Magnesium while Swp3and Swp7 contained a high level of iron (p<0.05). Comparatively high level of Zinc waspresent in Hingurala, Swp3 and Swp7 cultivars.Key words: Dioscorea , Ipomea batatas, minerals, Xanthosoma s

EFFECT OF GLUTEN ADDITION TO RICE FLOUR IN DEVELOPING A NEW RICE FLOUR :BREAD

It was observed that the minimum quantity of vital wheat gluten requiredto mix with rice flour in bread making to be 20 %. Studies on the chemicalcomposition of this bread showed higher moisture and protein levels than wheatbread. Farinograph absorption curves of wheat gluten/rice flour mixesshowed that stable doughs could be made with mixes having 20 % and 25 %wfw Gluten. It was observed that such doughs needed 70% water. Amylographviscosity data showed the above mixture to behave like rice flour onheating, but on cooling it did not show a sharp increase in viscosity like riceflour. The extensibility of the above dough was lower and the resistence washigher than in a wheat flour dough. Gluten/rice flour dough tended to collapseand became porous after two hours. This dough gave a good loaf whendeveloped by a combination of chemical and activated dough developmentmethods. Lecithin when used at 0.5 % (w/w) concentration in the form of aliquid crystaline lipid phase was found to improve the loaf volume further

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCES AND REAL DIETARY INTAKE OF SOME SRI LANKAN HOUSEHOLDS

This project was carried out to compare the real dietary intake of the people living In thevillage or Raigama in the Kalutara district (Site A) and Poddala in the Galle district (Site B)The study was carried out by obtaining information on a pre-prepared questionnaire. Theinformation included the socio economic status. health status in the families investigatedand also the amount of various daily dietary intake components. The latter data was thenconvened into calories. vitamins. minerals etc. using the national food composition tables,The mean dietary intake of food items reflected an over dependence on Rice in site A andBread in site B. The daily consumption in both sites was very high and over 90~k of thepopulation in site A consume protein even over 20De/,: of recommended dietary allowances.The intake of Energy. Vitamin A and Riboflavin in site A is not satisfactory while energy.Vitamin A. Iron. Riboflavin and Niacin in sue B are not satisfactory in relation to thestandards.The analysis of Body Mass Index (BMI) shows that the percentage or obese males in sile Bwas greater than site B while the normal and under weight percentages of both sites weremore or less the same. The obese percentage or females in site 8 was three times higherthan the site A. Seventy percent or females in site A were able to maintain normal bodyweight while in sire 8 46'lr did so.

The potential synergistic behaviour of inter- and intra-genus probiotic combinations in the pattern and rate of short chain fatty acids formation during fibre fermentation

This study compared the rate of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production by different probiotic combinations of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium to determine any synergistic effects. Six different fibre fractions were fermented with nine combinations of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR), Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA), Bifidobacterium longum (BL) and Bifidobacterium breve (BB) for 0, 6, 24 and 48 h. SCFAs were quantified by gas chromatography. Inter-genus combinations of bacteria produced more SCFA, especially BB + BL + LR, compared to intra-genus that yielded the lowest SCFA production. Acetate was the most abundant, while propionate and butyrate were the most utilised. The SCFA formation was as acetate \u3e propionate \u3e butyrate and the total dietary fibre produced most of the SCFA. Most combinations utilised 60–80% of the fibre; BB + BL + LR digested the fibre completely. The quantity, pattern and the time of release of SCFA depends on the genus, but the combination of pre and probiotics is of great importance for the outcome

The iHealth-T2D study, prevention of type 2 diabetes amongst South Asians with central obesity and prediabetes: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Background: People from South Asia are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). There is an urgent need to develop approaches for the prevention of T2D in South Asians that are cost-effective, generalisable and scalable across settings. Hypothesis: Compared to usual care, the risk of T2D can be reduced amongst South Asians with central obesity or raised HbA1c, through a 12-month lifestyle modification programme delivered by community health workers. Design: Cluster randomised clinical trial (1:1 allocation to intervention or usual care), carried out in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the UK, with 30 sites per country (120 sites total). Target recruitment 3600 (30 participants per site) with annual follow-up for 3 years. Entry criteria: South Asian, men or women, age 40–70 years with (i) central obesity (waist circumference ≥ 100 cm in India and Pakistan; ≥90 cm in Sri Lanka) and/or (ii) prediabetes (HbA1c 6.0–6.4% inclusive). Exclusion criteria: known type 1 or 2 diabetes, normal or underweight (body mass index < 22 kg/m2); pregnant or planning pregnancy; unstable residence or planning to leave the area; and serious illness. Endpoints: The primary endpoint is new-onset T2D at 3 years, defined as (i) HbA1c ≥ 6.5% or (ii) physician diagnosis and on treatment for T2D. Secondary endpoints at 1 and 3 years are the following: (i) physical measures: waist circumference, weight and blood pressure; (ii) lifestyle measures: smoking status, alcohol intake, physical activity and dietary intake; (iii) biochemical measures: fasting glucose, insulin and lipids (total and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides); and (iv) treatment compliance. Intervention: Lifestyle intervention (60 sites) or usual care (60 sites). Lifestyle intervention was delivered by a trained community health worker over 12 months (5 one-one sessions, 4 group sessions, 13 telephone sessions) with the goal of the participants achieving a 7% reduction in body mass index and a 10-cm reduction in waist circumference through (i) improved diet and (ii) increased physical activity. Usual care comprised a single 30-min session of lifestyle modification advice from the community health worker. Results: We screened 33,212 people for inclusion into the study. We identified 10,930 people who met study entry criteria, amongst whom 3682 agreed to take part in the intervention. Study participants are 49.2% female and aged 52.8 (SD 8.2) years. Clinical characteristics are well balanced between intervention and usual care sites. More than 90% of follow-up visits are scheduled to be complete in December 2020. Based on the follow-up to end 2019, the observed incidence of T2D in the study population is in line with expectations (6.1% per annum). Conclusion: The iHealth-T2D study will advance understanding of strategies for the prevention of diabetes amongst South Asians, use approaches for screening and intervention that are adapted for low-resource settings. Our study will thus inform the implementation of strategies for improving the health and well-being of this major global ethnic group. IRB approval: 16/WM/0171 Trial registration: EudraCT 2016-001350-18. Registered on 14 April 2016. ClinicalTrials.govNCT02949739. Registered on 31 October 2016, First posted on 31/10/2016.European Union H2020 program (iHealth-T2D, 643774); National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (16/136/68) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research

Effects of a lifestyle intervention programme after 1 year of follow-up among South Asians at high risk of type 2 diabetes: a cluster randomised controlled trial

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Introduction South Asians are at high risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We assessed whether intensive family-based lifestyle intervention leads to significant weight loss, improved glycaemia and blood pressure in adults at elevated risk for T2D. Methods This cluster randomised controlled trial (iHealth-T2D) was conducted at 120 locations across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the UK. We included 3684 South Asian men and women, aged 40–70 years, without T2D but with raised haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and/or waist circumference. Participants were randomly allocated either to the family-based lifestyle intervention or control group by location clusters. Participants in the intervention received 9 visits and 13 telephone contacts by community health workers over 1-year period, and the control group received usual care. Reductions in weight (aim >7% reduction), waist circumference (aim ≥5 cm reduction), blood pressure and HbA1C at 12 months of follow-up were assessed. Our linear mixed-effects regression analysis was based on intention-to-treat principle and adjusted for age, sex and baseline values. Results There were 1846 participants in the control and 1838 in the intervention group. Between baseline and 12 months, mean weight of participants in the intervention group reduced by 1.8 kg compared with 0.4 kg in the control group (adjusted mean difference −1.10 kg (95% CI −1.70 to −1.06), p<0.001). The adjusted mean difference for waist circumference was −1.9 cm (95% CI −2.5; to 1.3), p<0.001). No overall difference was observed for blood pressure or HbA1c. People who attended multiple intervention sessions had a dose-dependent effect on waist circumference, blood pressure and HbA1c, but not on weight. Conclusion An intensive family-based lifestyle intervention adopting low-resource strategies led to effective reduction in weight and waist circumference at 12 months, which has potential long-term benefits for preventing T2D. A higher number of attended sessions increased the effect on waist circumference, blood pressure and HbA1c. Trial registration number EudraCT: 2016-001350-18; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02949739.The iHealth-T2D trial was funded by the European Commission (grant award 643774)