http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/7472 Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:54:16 GMT 2026-04-28T06:54:16Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/9425 PRODUCTION OF A NOVEL FRUIT-YOGHURT USING DRAGON FRUIT (HYLOCEREUS UNDATUS L.) Jayasinghe, O.; Fernando, S.; Jayamanne, V.; Hettiarachchi, D. Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus L.), which is rich in vitamin C, fiber and natural antioxidants, is one of the most popular commercial fruits available in sri lanka. However, dragon fruit is still an underutilized fruit in Sri Lanka as its high price and exotic taste don’t warrant consumption of the fruit by average Sri Lankan consumers. The present study investigated the possibility of developing a novel fruit-yoghurt incorporated with white dragon fruit and evaluated its eating quality parameters. An initial survey was conducted to find out the consumer preference for value-added dragon fruit products in Sri Lanka. Pasteurized dragon fruit juice enriched yoghurt (5%, 7.5%, 10% and12.5% w/w) were prepared with the suitable concentrations of sugar and gelatin and sensory properties, pH, titratable acidity, total solid, fat, solid-non-fat (SNF) and microbiological properties of the product were determined. Sensory results were analyzed by Kruskal wallis non-parametric one way ANOVA method using STATISTIX software (ver 2.0) for windows. Survey results showed that 90% of individuals were eagerly waiting for the new product from dragon fruit in the near future. Sugar (10%), gelatin (0.8%) and dragon fruit juice (10%; w/w) added yoghurt mix was selected as the best product considering its highest mean rank values recorded for sensory properties. The titratable acidity and pH of the developed product during the storage period ranged from 0.8 to 1.0 % and 4.08 to 3.9, respectively. Yeast and mould count did not exceed the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) recommended values during the 15-day storage period. It can be concluded that dragon fruit can be successfully European Scientific Journal January 2015 edition vol.11, No.3 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431 209 used to develop a fruit-yoghurt with improved sensory and nutritive properties. Fri, 30 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/9425 2015-01-30T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/9419 Fabrication of Hybrid Materials from Titanium Dioxide and Natural Phenols for Efficient Radical Scavenging against Oxidative Stress Yu, Huayang; Guo, Zhili; Wang, Shuqi; Fernando, Ganwarige Sumali N.; Channa, Simran; Kazlauciunas, Algy; Martin, David P.; Krasnikov, Sergey A.; Kulak, Alexander; Boesch, Christine; Sergeeva, Natalia N. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals is one of the great threats to inflict intracellular damage. Here, we report a convenient approach to the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of the radical activity of titanium-based composites. We have investigated the potential of natural antioxidants (curcumin, quercetin, catechin, and vitamin E) as radical scavengers and stabilizers. The titanium oxide composites were prepared via three steps including sol−gel synthesis, carboxylation, and esterification. The characterization of the titanium−phenol composites was carried out by FTIR, PXRD, UV−vis and SEM methods. The radical scavenging ability of the novel materials was evaluated using DPPH and an in vitro LPO assay using isolated rat liver mitochondria. The novel materials exhibit both a higher stability and an antioxidant activity in comparison to bare TiO2. It was found that curcumin and quercetin based composites show the highest antioxidant efficiency among the composites under study followed by catechin and vitamin E based materials. The results from an MTT assay carried out on the Caco-2 cell line indicate that the composites do not contribute to the cytotoxicity in vitro. This study demonstrates that a combination of powerful antioxidants with titanium dioxide can change its functional properties and provide a convenient strategy against oxidative stress. Fri, 03 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/9419 2019-05-03T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/9407 Application of an ultrasound-assisted extraction method to recover betalains and polyphenols from red beetroot waste Fernando, Ganwarige Sumali N.; Wood, Kelly; Papaioannou, Emmanouil H.; Marshall, Lisa J.; Sergeeva, Natalia N.; Boesch, Christine Agriculture and food industries generate substantial quantities of waste material with a huge potential for bioactive ingredients to be recovered and converted into high-value chemicals. Red beetroot, known for its high content in betalains, natural red pigments, as well as polyphenols, fiber, and nitrate, is experiencing increasing demand, in particular as juice, which is leaving behind large amounts of waste. The present study focused on the recovery of betalains and polyphenols from dried whole beetroot and wet and dried beet pulp waste from the juicing industry. As part of an ultrasound-assisted extraction, ethanol/ water-based solvent mixtures were used as they were found to be more effective than single solvents. Enzyme-assisted extraction was initially examined in the case of wet pulp but was not able to retain betalains. Betalains appear to be more stable in dried pulp. Ultrasound-assisted extraction was found to be more suitable to effectively extract both betalains and polyphenols with a high bioactive yield from dried pulp. The total betalain and polyphenol profiles as well as storage stability and antioxidant capacities were evaluated over a period of four weeks after extraction from the dried waste. During the four-week storage, betalains quickly degraded at room temperature in contrast to −20 °C, whereas polyphenols and antioxidative activity were much less influenced by temperature. When compared, dried samples from the beetroot juicing industry demonstrate good betalain and polyphenol extractability; thus, these data indicate that dried beet waste can serve as a good source of betalains for the color industry and other technological sectors. Wed, 23 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/9407 2021-06-23T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/9405 Novel approach for purification of major betalains using flash chromatography and comparison of radical scavenging and antioxidant activities Fernando, Ganwarige Sumali N.; Sergeeva, Natalia N.; Frutos, Maria J.; Boesch, Christine The present study focused on the development of a new purification protocol suitable for betanin and other major betalains, vulgaxanthin I, indicaxanthin and neobetanin, using flash chromatography which is a conve nient and fast method to isolate unstable materials. Following preliminary tests, a gradient procedure using 0–60% acetonitrile, with 0.1% (v/v) formic acid as mobile phase, was selected for the purification. Different fractions were collected based on UV detection at 254 and 280 nm and purities were confirmed by reverse-phase HPLC analysis to be 97%, 95%, 79% and 52% for betanin, indicaxanthin, vulgaxanthin I, and neobetanin, respectively, with pigment yields ranging from 120 to 487 mg per 100 g of powdered raw material. Comparative assessment of antioxidant and radial scavenging properties of individual betalains indicated highest potential for betanin followed by neobetanin, vulgaxanthin I and indicaxanthin. Mon, 15 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/9405 2022-08-15T00:00:00Z