Browsing by Author "Gammanpila, H. W."

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Open Access
Comparative Analysis of Starch Extracted from Banana (Musa spp.) Corms: Evaluation of Antioxidant Properties and Other Nutritional Properties
(Department of Applied Sciences. Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Dahanayake, T. M. W.; Priyadarshani, S. V. G. N.; Gammanpila, H. W.
Banana corms are frequently regarded as agricultural waste globally, in contrast to the other parts of the banana plant. This study focuses on developing an optimal procedure for extracting starch from the banana corm and evaluating its antioxidant activity and nutritional composition to determine whether it has the potential to be used in food products. Starch was extracted from the banana corm using the wet milling method, and 1% Ascorbic acid was used to prevent browning. Three Sri Lankan banana varieties, Embul, Ambun, and Alukesel were used in the study. The starch yield ranged between 2.11% to 7.2%, with the highest obtained from Ascorbic acid-treated Embul (Embul-As). Ascorbic acid treatment significantly improved both starch yield and color (p < 0.05). The highest DPPH radical scavenging activity for Ascorbic free samples was given by Embul, which is 1.96 mg AAE/g. Nutritional profiling of Embul-As revealed favorable macronutrient content, including carbohydrate 82.2% and an energy value of 337 kcal/100g. These findings highlight banana corm-starch as a sustainable, underutilized resource with strong potential for innovative applications in food product development.
Open Access
Exploring the Influence of Intermittent Heat Exposure on Spontaneous Mutations in Drosophila melanogaster: Assessing the Role of Vitamin C in Mitigating Heat Stress and Examining Inheritance Patterns of Induced Mutations
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Gammanpila, H. W.; Manjula, K. R.
Climate change poses a significant threat to the well-being of organisms. It has a detrimental impact on the survival of smaller organisms in response to climatic shifts, posing a substantial danger to biodiversity, which is already under stress due to habitat loss, emerging invasive species, and diseases. This study aimed to assess the influence of fluctuating temperatures on the physiology and behavior of Drosophila melanogaster, as well as to investigate whether such temperature fluctuations have any effect on phenotypic expression through potential spontaneous mutations. Genotypic changes were examined by observing cytological alterations in the salivary gland chromosomes. Drosophila melanogaster were exposed to intermittent heat conditions for a period of two weeks. The experimental setup was divided into four groups: a control group maintained at room temperature (25±2°C), a group at room temperature supplemented with vitamin C, a group exposed to heat at 38±2°C, and a group exposed to 38±2°C with vitamin C supplementation. Revival of the flies was noticeably better in the vitamin C supplemented group. These flies exhibited a higher revival rate even after exposure to the heat stress. Salivary gland chromosome analysis provided intriguing insights. More balbiani rings were observed, indicating elevated mRNA production during the heat exposure. Furthermore, an increase in the number of puffs in polytene chromosomes was noted, suggesting an overall increase in mRNA production in the heat-exposed flies. Additionally, the evaluation of wing mutants yielded important findings. It became evident that these mutations were not related to vestigial or curly wing traits. Instead, they indicated that heat exposure was damaging wing formation, resulting in abnormal wing patterns. These results suggest a substantial impact of temperature fluctuations on insect behavior, which can even lead to the induction of mutations. Generational studies further indicate that these mutations can be inherited.