http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/7480 2026-04-07T12:10:52Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/12010 A cross-sectional study of popularity and usage of skin care products among users in Gampaha district, Sri Lanka Edirisinghe, J.U.; Napagoda, M.T.; Wijesekera, K. Industries offer a vast range of skincare products (SCPs) to maintain and improve the general appearance of the skin. Currently, consumers are moving towards herbal-based cosmetics even though there are several synthetic products in the market. Improper usage of cosmetics may lead to health issues like rashes, hair loss, and severe allergic reactions. To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of skincare products, a descriptive cross sectional study was conducted. An interviewer-administrated questionnaire was distributed in the Gampaha district. Out of 424 participants, 234 (55.2%) responded as they used skincare products. Therefore, these 234 participants were taken for further analysis. From the whole population, 44.8% of participants have used synthetic SCPs, 19.8% have used herbal SCPs while 35.3% claimed the use of both synthetic and herbal SCPs. More than 50% of participants among the users were knowledgeable about pH, SPF (sun protection factor), chemical composition and the amount to be used. Most of users believed that SCPs are highly effective and trustable. Participants who use herbal SCPs have believed in the safety and fewer side effects of those products compared to the participants who used synthetic SCPs. In addition, a substantial number of people are ready to accept herbal formulations upon scientific validation of their efficacy and safety. 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/12008 Evaluation of Antibacterial activity in Nelumbo nucifera white flower Mohanasundaram, T.; Wijesekera, K.; Napagoda, M.T. Nelumbo nucifera is commonly known as “Lotus” which is highly valued in aquatic horticulture in Sri Lanka, and broadly used in the Ayurveda and Siddha systems of medicines. Extracts of different parts of this plant have shown different therapeutic effects due to their phytochemical constituents. Aqueous methanolic extracts (80%) of petals and stamens were screened separately for in vitro antibacterial activity. Well diffusion method and Muller Hinton Broth (MHB) dilution method in microplates were used to determine Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and agar plates were used to determine Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) against two Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus) and two gram-negative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Vancomycin and ceftriaxone were used as the positive controls for gram positive and gram-negative microorganism, respectively and DMSO (dimethyl sulphoxide) as negative control. Petal and stamen extracts showed somewhat similar antibacterial activity, where the zone of inhibition (mm) was higher for gram-negative organisms (14.3 ± 0.6) than gram-positive organisms (11.7 ± 0.6). Methanolic extract of white lotus petals and stamens showed comparatively good antibacterial activity against all four organisms. Results emphasized that lotus flower extracts have the potential to be used as antibacterial agent and the importance of the use of natural products to treat pathological conditions. 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/12007 Determination of Total Phenolic Content (TPC) of Nemphaea nouchali and Nymphaea pubescens by Folin Ciocalteu method Sundaram, T.M.; Napagoda, M.T.; Wijesekera, K.D.; Wijayaratne, Gaya B. Nymphaea nouchali (Nil Manel) and Nymphaea pubescens (Olu) are aquatic plants, and have a long history of use as food and folk medicine in many countries. Many phenolic compounds isolated from these two plant species have exhibited antioxidants properties and some simple phenolic compounds have shown to possess various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti proliferative, antioxidant and pro-apoptotic potential. The aim of the present study was to determine the content of total phenol in an extract from N. nouchali and N. pubescens flowers collected from Galle, Sri Lanka, by a UV/Vis spectrophotometric method. Aqueous methanol (80%) was used as the solvent to extract flowers including petals, stamens and pistil and all extracts were analyzed for TPC by Folin Ciocalteu method. Results were expressed in terms of gallic acid equivalence in (GAE)/g dry weight (DW) of flower part. N. pubescens petals contained 49.780 ± 0.626, stamens 37.581 ± 0.477 and pistil 31.889 ± 0.711, while N. nouchali petals showed 22.536 ± 0.383, stamens 38.702 ± 1.112 and pistil 30.119 ±1.116 GAEg-1. N. pubescens showed higher TPC in every plant part tested compared to N. nouchali and petal extract of N. pubescens showed highest TPC. Hence, N. pubescens flowers are a good source of antioxidants. Results emphasized that N. nouchali and N. pubescens extracts have high phenolic content and the importance of the use of natural products to treat pathological conditions. 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/12005 Evaluation of photoprotective property and antioxidant property of Clitoria ternatea (Katarolu) Jayashan, T.W.K.S.S.; Napagoda, M.T.; Wijesekara, K.A.K.D. Cumulative lifetime dose of ultra violet (UV) radiation has increased significantly due to many natural and artificial consequences. UV-A and UV-B radiation are considered as the major risk factors for photo dermal pathogenesis. Many herbal extracts and herbal preparations have served as effective sunscreen agents as they have UV absorption, scattering, reflecting and excellent free radical scavenging activity. Clitoria ternatea (Katarolu) is a plant known for its versatility in therapeutic and cosmeceutical applications over thousands of years due its remarkable bioactivity and rich phytochemical composition. Therefore, the study is concentrated on determining photo protective property and antioxidant profiles of acidified aqueous alcoholic floral extracts of C. ternatea. In vitro photo protective property of crude extract was evaluated using 0.2 mg/mL methanolic solution and expressed in terms of spectrophotometric SPF according to Mansur equation. Stability of photo protective property was evaluated for 21 days. Antioxidant activity of the floral extract was evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging activity, nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging and ferricyanide reducing assays. Alcoholic extract of C. ternatea petal (0.2 mg/mL) exhibited excellent photo protective activity and SPF value was 20.4916±0.653 and shown promising photo stability in terms of spectrophotometric SPF value. Antioxidant capacity of the crude floral extract was 1418.27±125.89 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/100g DW mg ascorbic acid equivalents/ 100g DW of the with reference to the standard curve (y = 0.7328x - 0.1471, R² = 0.9979). % NO radical scavenging capacity of floral extract (1mg/mL) was 40.379±5.478. Reducing power of the floral extract was 2345.412±215.258 mg and 3345.91±456.34 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/ 100g DW, respectively with reference to the standard curve (y = 0.0042x + 0.0971, R² = 0.9988). Hence, C.ternatea can be successfully served as a natural sunscreen agent in herbal and natural cosmeceuticals. 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z