Browsing by Author "Jansz, E.R."

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An Aqueous extract of the green leafy vegetables Ipomoea aquatica is as effective as the oral hypoglacaemic drug Tolbutamide in reducing the blood sugar levels of Wistar rats
(Wiley, 2001) Malalavidhane, T.S.; Wickremasinghe, S.M.D.N.; Jansz, E.R.
This study was undertaken to compare the oral hypoglycaemic activity of an aqueous extract of the green leafy vegetable Ipomoea aquatica (dose equivalent to 3.3 g starting material /kg body weight) with that of the known oral hypoglycaemic drug tolbutamide (15 mg/kg body weight) in glucosechallenged Wistar rats (3 g/kg body weight, administered 30 min after the administration of Ipomoea aquatica or tolbutamide). One and half hours after administration of glucose (equivalent to 2 h after administration of plant extract or tolbutamide), the mean blood glucose level of the Ipomoeaaquatica treated group was 47.5% lower than that of the control group treated with distilled water. The tolbutamide treated group showed a meanblood glucose level which was only 33.8% lower than that of the control group. However, statistical analysis indicated that the blood glucose levels of the Ipomoea aquatica treated group were not significantly different from that of the tolbutamide treated group. Our results show that the aqueousextract of Ipomoea aquatica is as effectve as tolbutamide in reducing the blood glucose levels of glucose-challenged Wistar rats.
The Effect of flabelliferins of palmyrah (Borassas Flabellifer) fruit pulp on intestinal glucose uptake in mice
(National Science Foundation Sri Lanka, 2006) Uluwaduge, D.I.; Thabrew, M.I.; Jansz, E.R.
Palmyrah (Boarssus flabellifer L.)is 3 tree found growing in arid climates. It has an edible fruit pulp. Previous work had shown that Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice fed with 10% fruit pulp in standard feed showed reduced weight gain due to bitter steroidal saponins termed flabelliferin-II. The effecr of this pulp and flabelliferin-II on glucose uptake was studied. At a dose of 10mg/mouse, mixed flabelliferins (with 2.5 mg flabelliferin II) reduced blood glucose after glucose challenge (p < 0.001), increased faecal glucose (p <0.001) 2nd intestinal glucose (p < 0.001), but not faecal glucose (p=0.62). The latter is probably due to the removal of flabelliferin triglycoside which is antimicrobial. The antimicrobial component and two other flabelliferins did not show the above effect. As the pulp is non-toxic it may find application as a functional food.
Effect of maturity on some chemical constituents of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)
(Natural Resources, Energy and Science Authority of Sri Lanka, 1988) Cooray, N.F.; Jansz, E.R.; Ranatunga, J.; Wimalasena, S.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of the national vitamin A supplementation programme among school children in Sri Lanka
(Cambridge University Press, 2007) Madatuwa, T.M.; Mahawithanage, S.T.C.; Chandrika, U.G.; Jansz, E.R.; Wickremasinghe, A.R.
The Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka commenced a vitamin A supplementation programme of school children with a megadose of 105 micromol (100,000 IU) vitamin A in school years 1, 4 and 7 (approximately 5-, 9- and 12-year-olds, respectively) in 2001. We evaluated the vitamin A supplementation programme of school children in a rural area of Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional study was conducted among children supplemented with an oral megadose of vitamin A (105 micromol; n 452) and children not supplemented (controls; n 294) in Grades 1-5. Children were clinically examined and a sample of blood was taken for serum vitamin A concentration estimation by HPLC. Socio-demographic information was obtained from children or mothers. Supplemented children had a higher proportion of males and stunted children, were younger and lived under poorer conditions as compared to controls. There was no difference in the prevalences of eye signs and symptoms of vitamin A deficiency in the two groups. Supplemented children had higher serum vitamin A concentrations than controls (1.4 (SD 0.49) micromol/l v. 1.2 (SD 0.52) micromol/l). The serum vitamin A concentrations were 1.6 (SD 0.45), 1.4 (SD 0.50), 1.3 (SD 0.44) and 1.1 (SD 0.43) micromol/l in children supplemented within 1, 1-6, 7-12 and 13-18 months of supplementation, respectively. Vitamin A concentrations were significantly greater than controls if supplementation was carried out within 6 months after adjustment. The oral megadose of 105 micromol vitamin A maintained serum vitamin A concentrations for 6 months in school children.
Impact of vitamin A supplementation on health status and absenteeism of school children in Sri Lanka
(HEC Press, Australia, 2007) Mahawithanage, S.T.C.; Kannangara, K.K.; Wickremasinghe, R.; Chandrika, U.G.; Jansz, E.R.; Karunaweera, N.D.; Wickremasinghe, A.R.
The objective of this study was to determine the impact of Vitamin A supplementation on health status and absenteeism of school children. A randomized double blind placebo controlled trial over a period of 13 months was conducted in a rural area of Sri Lanka involving 613 school children attending Grades 1-5 (aged 5 to 13 years). Children were assigned to either 200,000 IU of Vitamin A (n=297) or placebo (n=316) once every 4 months. Socio-demographic data were obtained at baseline, and anthropometry and haemoglobin concentrations were assessed at baseline and post intervention. Serum vitamin A concentrations were assayed by HPLC in a subgroup of children (n=193) before administration of each dose. School absenteeism was recorded. The two groups of children were similar at baseline in all variables. The subgroup of children was comparable to the main study population. The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (< 20 microg/dL) in the subgroup of children was 8.2%. Changes in anthropometric indices and haemoglobin concentrations were similar in the two groups. The major causes for absenteeism were non-health causes and supplemented children lost a fewer number of school days due to illness than placebo children (p=0.053). Vitamin A concentrations improved with each dose and the improvement was greater with better compliance. Vitamin A supplementation with 200,000 IU every 4 months over 13 months improved vitamin A status and school attendance but not anthropometric status of these children.
Nutritive inportance of palmyrah products
(2004) Thabrew, M.I.; Jansz, E.R.
The Oral hypoglacaemic activity of Ipomea aquatica
(Elsevier, 2000) Malalavidhane, T.S.; Wickremasinghe, S.M.D.N.; Jansz, E.R.
Ipomoea aquatica is a commonly consumed green leafy vegetable in Sri Lanka which is supposed to possess an insulin-like activity [Jayaweera, D.M.A., 1982. Medicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic) Used in Ceylon. Part 11. National Science Council, Colombo, Sri Lanka, pp. 99]. Only a little attention has been paid to the therapeutic use of this plant. We studied the oral hypoglycaemic activity of single and multiple doses of I. aquatica in healthy, male Wistar rats after a glucose challenge. There was a significant reduction in the serum glucose concentrations with both single (33%, P<0.0027) and multiple (25%, P<0.02) doses. The optimum dose was 3.4 g/kg while the optimum activity was given 2 h after the administration of the extract. The present study indicates that a boiled, whole extract of I. aquatica exerts an oral hypoglycaemic effect in healthy, male, Wistar rats after a glucose challenge.
Oral hypoglygaemic activity of Ipomea aquatica in streptozotocin induced diabetic wistar rats and type II diabetics
(Wiley, 2003) Malalavidhane, T.S.; Wickremasinghe, S.M.D.N.; Perera, M.S.A.; Jansz, E.R.
Ipomoea aquatica Forsk is a common green leafy vegetable consumed in many parts of the world. The present study was designed to investigate theoral hypoglycaemic activity of Ipomea aquatica in streptozotocin induced diabetic Wistar rats, and Type II diabetic patients. Experimental diabetes was induced with streptozotocin in Wistar rats. The rats were then divided into test and control groups. In addition to the standard feed given to both groups the test was fed with the shredded leaves of Ipomoea aquatica (3.4 g/kg) for one week. Type II diabetic patients were subjected to a glucose challenge before and after a single dose of blended I. aquatica. Patients acted as their own controls. The results revealed that consumption of the shredded, fresh, edible portion of I. aquatica for one week, effectively reduced the fasting blood sugar level of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (p = 0.01). When subjected to a glucose challenge, the Type II diabetic subjects showed a significant reduction (p = 0.001) in the serum glucose concentration 2 h after the glucose load. However, it was not significantly reduced at 1 h (p < 0.09) post glucose load. There was a 29.4% decrease in the serum glucose concentration of the diabetic patients when treated with the plant extract.
A Pilot study on palmyrah pinattu (dried fruit pulp) as an anti-diabetic food component
(International Formulae Group (IFG), 2007) Uluwaduge, D.I.; Perera, A.N.S.; Jansz, E.R.; Thabrew, M.I.
The fruit pulp of palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer L.) has been shown to inhibit intestinal glucose uptake in mice, the active principle being a steroidal saponin, flabelliferin-II which inhibits intestinal ATPase in mice at 5x 10"5M level. Palmyrah fruit pulp (PFP) is widely used to manufacture many food products including dried PFP (pinattu), which has been consumed in North-East Sri Lanka for centuries. The present study was carried out to investigate whether PFP in the form of pinattu could reduce serum glucose levels of mild diabetic (Type-II) patients who were not on a drug regimen with a view to developing pinattu as an anti-diabetic food component. Patients (newly diagnosed, Type-11, mild diabetic patients) attending the diabetic clinic at the Family Practice Centre, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, were subjected to a glucose challenge (75 g/50 kg BW) after a 10 hour overnight fast and the blood glucose levels determined. On subsequent visits of each patient (3 days after the first visit) blood glucose was determined after administration of PFP in the form of pinattu (6 g/50 kg BW) or fibre (4 g/50 kg BW) extracted from PFP prior to the glucose challenge. The methodology employed was the cross over method where each patient was its own control. In all mild diabetic patients treated with pinattu, there was a significant reduction (p< 0.01, by 15-48%) in blood glucose concentration after a glucose challenge. Therefore the results of the present study suggest that pinattu (dried PFP) could be used as an anti-hyperglycemic agent.
Preliminary report on the absence of toxicity of fruit pulp of palmrah (Borassus flabellifer) in ICR mice
(National Science Foundation Sri Lanka, 2005) Uluwaduge, D.I.; Thabrew, M.I.; Jansz, E.R.
Palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer L.) flour prepared from the seed shoot has been previously reported to cause hepatotoxic, neurotoxic and other toxic effects. Although palmyrah fruit pulp (PFP) is also consumed in Sri Lanka, no toxicity studies have been done. Short and long term toxicity studies were therefore conducted with PFP by administration of 10% or 50% PFP (dry basis) incorporated into WHO standard feed (part of the maize being substituted with PFP) compared with a control group of ICR mice, fed the WHO standard feed (n=7 in each group, age 6 weeks, weight 36- 44g) , for 7 or 30 days. In both studies the effect of 10% or 50% PFP feed on liver and kidney function and haematological parameters (haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, white blood cell count and red blood cell count) were determined. Liver function was assessed by estimation of serum levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase. Renal toxicity was assessed by estimation of serum creatinine levels. In thelong term toxicity study, effect of PFP on histology of main body organs (heart, lung, liver, kidney and intestine) were also assessed by microscopic examination of haematoxylin / eosin stained sections of these organs. Results of both the short term and long term toxicity studies demonstrated that PFP at the 10% or 50% level did not have any significant effect on kidney or liver function nor on the haematological parameters under study and on the histology of major body organs in ICR mice. In all studies, neurotoxicity was assessed by comparing the behaviour of the test group with the control group. No behavioural changes or spasms were observed in the test groups of mice fed with the feed containing 10% or 50% PFP. The overall results suggest that PFP even at the 50% level in the standard feed probably does not produce any toxic effects in ICR mice.
A preliminary study on the effect of a single dose of Ipomoea aquatica (Convolvuiaceae) on intestinal glucose absorption of healthy, male, Wistar rats
(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2003) Malalavidhane, T.S.; Wickramasinghe, S.M.D.N.; Jansz, E.R.
Abstract available
Studies on the natural hydrophobic binders of flabelliferns and their effects on some bioactivities
(National Science Foundation Sri Lanka, 2005) Uluwaduge, D.I.; Punyakeerthi, A.A.; Senadheera, S.N.; Jansz, E.R.
The fruit pulp and flour of Palmyrah (Borassus Flabellifer L.) contain flabelliferins (steroidal saponins) which are found naturally bound to hydrophobic molecules which give them a blue fluorescence in ultra violet (UV) light. These hydrophobic molecules have been isolated and have been found to be carotenoids, most probably phytofluene and phytoene. The presence of these binders modulate the bioactivity of flabelliferins. That is, they lower ATPase inhibition activity of flabelliferin-II (F-II) and increase the anti-microbial activity of flabelliferin-B (F-B) against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922).