OPUS documents https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/index/index/ Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:19:29 +0100 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:19:29 +0100 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16399 Chalani Akmeemana; Dulani Somendrika; Indira Wickramasinghe; Isuru Wijeskara article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16399 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:19:29 +0100 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17863 S. Shayanthavi; R. Kapilan; Indira Wickramasinghe article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17863 Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:18:06 +0200 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17862 Udari Menaka; Isuru Wijesekara; S.B. Navaratne; Indira Wickramasinghe article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17862 Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:51:48 +0200 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17861 Increasing human population and extreme consumption of fossil fuels create the potential to generate alternative energy sources. Bioethanol is an alternative and renewable energy resource for fossil fuels, which can be generated from low-cost raw materials. The objective of the study is to optimize pretreatment and culture conditions to enhance bioethanol production from Azolla filiculoides substrate using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The A. filiculoides was collected from fresh-water ponds, cleaned, dried, milled to fine powder and then autoclaved for 15 min at 121 ℃. When A. filiculoides substrate was pre-treated with different acids and alkaline separately and alcohol production was monitored, significantly higher alcohol (0.1%) was produced with 1 M H2SO4, thus it was selected as the best pre-treatment agent. E. J. S. B. A. Christy; R. Kapilan; Indira Wickramasinghe; I. Wijesekara article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17861 Wed, 23 Oct 2024 07:51:44 +0200 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17859 N.G.H.I. Kavithani; Indira Wickramasinghe; S.M.T.A. Maralanda article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17859 Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:23:23 +0200 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17858 Plastic pollution, mainly due to single-use food packaging materials, has become a drastic environmental issue around the world. As a consequence of their accumulation, naturally balanced ecosystems may undergo various types of vulnerabilities, and eventually, it may lead to the annihilation of flora, and fauna. Hence, there is an urgent need to find alternative ways of packaging food with environmentally friendly materials. Currently, there are considerable numbers of research being done to prove that biodegradable packaging materials can be produced from plant leaves and sheaths. However, the large-scale production and application of eco-friendly packaging materials is still a challenge and more studies are further required to accomplish it. Hence, this review is done to identify initiatives made in the field of biodegradable packaging material and directs them towards practical application. In the end, it proves that there is a huge potential to produce biodegradable packaging materials from plant sources economically. S. Kalina; R. Kapilan; Indira Wickramasinghe; S. B. Navaratne article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17858 Tue, 22 Oct 2024 14:57:57 +0200 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17857 Plant leaves, especially from bananas, have been used in food packing for a long time, and it has been proven that banana leaves possess the best attributes in developing bio-degradable packaging materials. The current study aims to determine the effects of four types of chemical treatments on the mechanical properties of banana leaves and to optimize the treatment conditions. Mature banana leaves were immersed in chemicals, namely glycerin (25%, 33%), citric acid (0.5%, 1%), calcium hydroxide  (3%, 5%), and sodium chloride (5%, 10%) for seven days while drawing samples daily for testing. The treated samples were tested for mechanical properties such as hardness, tear resistance, and load-bearing capacity, using recommended protocols with slight modifications. The multi-response optimization was done using the statistical method named Grey Relational Analysis to select the best treatment setting. The results revealed that  the treatments of citric acid solution (0.5%) for one day and two days, Glycerin (33.3%) for one day and two days, and NaCl solution (10%) for one day were among the first five in the Grey Relational Grades obtained for multi-response optimization and demonstrated a significant (p<0.05) increment for all the three mechanical properties. Hence, the selected chemical treatments positively affect the mechanical properties of banana leaves at their optimum treatment conditions. S. Kalina; R. Kapilan; Indira Wickramasinghe; S. B. Navaratne article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17857 Tue, 22 Oct 2024 14:46:31 +0200 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17856 Sri Lankan black tea is renowned for its high quality and regarded as a brand that is chemically safe, ozone-friendly, and ethically acceptable with accountable stakeholders in the supply chain. Meantime, food safety has become one of the mandated food attributes that is heavily concern by stakeholders even at the estate level. Hence, this study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) of managers at black tea manufacturing in the Uva region of Sri Lanka regarding basic food safety concerns. Data were collected from 30 respondents at 30 black tea manufacturing factories in the Uva region using a stratified random sampling technique. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire based on KAP of basic food safety was utilized and collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and correlation analysis. The study indicated that the mean percentage of knowledge was satisfactory (93.1%), and the mean score for attitudes and practices of food safety was 4.7±0.4 (X±SD) and 4.6±0.5 (X±SD), respectively. However, this study depicted that the knowledge of food safety influenced managers’ attitudes (0.421, P<0.05) but not their food safety behaviour. Further, they believed that food safety management systems would be a means of directing their black tea to the international market (76.7%), while pledging the concerns of food safety (70%). However, it was depicted that constraints with food handlers (100%) and financial difficulties (73.3%) hugely affected the implementation of food safety management systems at the black tea manufacturing factories in the Uva region of Sri Lanka. Hence, this study suggests continuous, periodical but short training to sustain the practice of handling teas safely in the Uva region of Sri Lanka. K. P. M. Kahandage; Indira Wickramasinghe; S. B. Navaratne; W. A. J. P. Wijesinghe article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17856 Tue, 22 Oct 2024 14:40:20 +0200 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17416 Resistant starch (RS) has been shown to manipulate food digestion and nutrient metabolism as well as being important in promoting gut health. However, the presence of RS varies across diverse food systems depending upon process conditions. To investigate this, chickpeas, potatoes, arrowroots, unripe bananas and oats were subjected to boiling and pressure cooking at various cooking durations and the RS% was determined. After 45 min of boiling and 15 min of pressure cooking, RS% of chickpeas increased by ~29% and ~41%, respectively. Increasing the cooking time, together with boiling and pressure cooking, led to higher RS% in chickpeas, mainly due to the retrogradation of starch after gelatinisation. In contrast, boiling and pressure cooking led to a reduction in RS% for potatoes, arrowroots, unripe bananas and oats, while a further decrease was encountered with the increase in processing time. After 45 min of boiling, RS% of potatoes, arrowroots, unripe bananas, and oats were reduced by 58%, 22%, 80% and 70%, respectively. After 15 min of pressure cooking, RS% of potatoes, arrowroots and unripe bananas were reduced by 41%, 22% and 83%, respectively. This was mainly due to the disruption of the ordered structure of starch molecules during thermal processing in the presence of water. This study clearly elucidates the impact of boiling and pressure cooking on RS% as a function of processing time and type of RS source. Sankha Karunarathna; Indira Wickramasinghe; Charles Brennan; Tuyen Truong; Seneviratne Navaratne; Jayani Chandrapala article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/17416 Fri, 19 Jul 2024 15:05:56 +0200 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16847 Wickramasinghe Mudiyanselage Dilan Rangana; Indira Wickramasinghe article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16847 Thu, 14 Mar 2024 12:09:53 +0100 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16844 Sankha Karunarathna; Indira Wickramasinghe; Tuyen Truong; Charles Brennan; S.B. Navaratne; Jayani Chandrapala article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16844 Thu, 14 Mar 2024 11:01:00 +0100 https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16423 Saummi Uduwana; Navindu Abeynayake; Indira Wickramasinghe article https://libdoc.whz.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16423 Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:47:48 +0100