The Total Antioxidant Capacity and the Total Phenolic Content of Rice Using Water as a Solvent.

BACKGROUND: The present study evaluates the antioxidant properties of some Sri Lankan red rice varieties using water extracts. METHODS: Water extracts of rice varieties Attakkari, Bg2907, and Bg407 were used in this study. The total antioxidant capacity was measured by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and reducing power assays. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), monomeric anthocyanin, and condensed tannin contents were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminium chloride, pH differential, and vanillin assays, respectively. RESULTS: It was observed that mean FRAP, DPPH, reducing power, TPC, TFC, monomeric anthocyanin content, and condensed tannin content were in the range of 0.561 ± 0.113 to 0.695 ± 0.077 mmol/100 g fresh weight (FW), 26.07 ± 3.08 to 53.66 ± 7.61 mg/mL FW, 33.49 ± 4.105.14 to 40.81 ± 3.65 mg/mL, 0.676 ± 0.078 to 0.900 ± 0.057 mg tannic acid equivalent (TAE)/g, 5.36 ± 0.75 to 6.38 ± 0.82 mg TAE/g FW, 0.0202 ± 0.005 to 0.0292 ± 0.009 mg/g FW, and 0.078 ± 0.015 to 0.104 ± 0.017 mg TAE/g FW, respectively. Significant differences were observed in DPPH, reducing power, and TPC among rice varieties (p < 0.05). Rice variety Attakkari had the highest total antioxidant capacity (TAC), scavenging activity, reducing power, TPC, TFC, monomeric anthocyanin content, and condensed tannin content followed by Bg2907 and Bg406. CONCLUSION: Total phenolic compounds, total flavonoid, and condensed tannin are the major antioxidants in all three varieties of rice while the monomeric anthocyanin is only a minor antioxidant.

Epidemiology and the Magnitude of Coronary Artery Disease and Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the foremost single cause of mortality and loss of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) globally. A large percentage of this burden is found in low and middle income countries. This accounts for nearly 7 million deaths and 129 million DALYs annually and is a huge global economic burden. OBJECTIVE: To review epidemiological data of coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome in low, middle and high income countries. METHODS: Keyword searches of Medline, ISI, IBSS and Google Scholar databases. Manual search of other relevant journals and reference lists of primary articles. RESULTS: Review of the results of studies reveals the absolute global and regional trends of the CAD and the importance and contribution of CAD for global health. Data demonstrates which region or countries have the highest and lowest age-standardized DALY rates and what factors might explain these patterns. Results also show differences among the determinants of CAD, government policies, clinical practice and public health measures across the various regions of world. CONCLUSION: CAD mortality and prevalence vary among countries. Estimation of the true prevalence of CAD in the population is complex. A significant number of countries have not provided data, the estimation of the exact figures for epidemiological data is a barrier. The incidence of CAD continues to fall in developed countries over the last few decades and this may be due to both effective treatment of the acute phase and improved primary and secondary preventive measures. Developing countries show considerable variability in the incidence of CAD. The globalization of the Western diet and increased sedentary lifestyle will have a dramatic influence on the progressive increase in the incidence of CAD in these countries.

Dehydration and malaria augment the risk of developing chronic kidney disease in Sri Lanka.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) of unknown etiology (CKDu) is a serious health issue in Sri Lanka. One-to-one age and sex-matched two sample comparative study was carried out in the Medawachchiya divisional secretariat area of the North Central Province (NCP) of Sri Lanka, by randomly selecting 100 CKDu patients and 100 age and sex-matched subjects from non-CKDu affected families from the same area. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for the collection of data pertaining to occupation, medical history and lifestyle. Data were analyzed using a conditional linear logistic model. Working for >6 h in the field per day, exposure to sun, drinking water only from well, consumption of <3 L of water per day, and having a history of malaria were found to be having significant (P < 0.05) likelihood toward the development of CKDu. Treatment of water prior to consumption had a significant protective effect against CKDu. Dehydration, history of malaria and drinking untreated well water from are likely contribute to the development of CKD of unknown etiology among the inhabitants of NCP, Sri Lanka.

PM(10)-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: biological indicators, lung cancer risk of realistic receptors and 'source-exposure-effect relationship' under different source scenarios.

Cancer has become a critical health issue in the world heritage city Kandy, Sri Lanka. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), one of persistent organic pollutants, in the atmosphere may be a major etiological factor in lung carcinogenicity. Over the very high concentrations of ambient air PAHs reported in Kandy, this paper is focused on setting priorities to control human exposure to PAHs in prevention of cancer. On re-appraisal of the classical indicator benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P) for atmospheric PAHs-related carcinogenicity, B[a]P failed to reflect the toxicity completely and may not be the sole indicator for risk assessment studies in complex multi-sourced urban environments. The excess lifetime lung cancer risks of atmospheric PAHs with 'less than lifetime exposure' were assessed based on both 'B[a]P toxic equivalents' and 'B[a]P surrogate epidemiological' approach of risk quantification, over emissions characterized urban, suburban, and rural areas of Kandy. In urban heavy traffic areas, PAH-related additional cancer burden has been 942 million(-1) over 30 y of exposure. Over the whole study area, ∑p-PAHs show strong correlation (r=0.8) to the predicted risk levels. While the urban and suburban predicted cancer risk levels could not show significant correlation to their emission sources indicating the real complexity in mega urban environments, the rural lung cancer risk levels correlated perfectly with the source, firewood combustion. Policy decisions on environment and health could be based on established correlations among 'emission sources-exposures-health effects'. The priority for "analysis of options and policy formulation to reduce inhalation PAHs exposure of population in Kandy" was considered "moderate to high".

Replacement of maize with sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) tuber meal in broiler diets.

1. The nutrient composition of sweet potato tuber meal (SPM) was similar to that of maize, with the exceptions of crude protein and calcium. The crude protein content was lower (62 v 91 g/kg) and the calcium content was higher (l.9 v 0.l g/kg) in SPM. The amino acid composition, in general, favoured SPM. 2. Trypsin inhibitor activity, and the contents of oxalate and phytate-phosphorus in SPM were too low to be of any nutritional concern. 3. The apparent metabolisable energy content of SPM was determined to be similar to that of maize (14.5l V 14.45 MJ/kg). 4. The results of feeding trials showed that SPM can replace up to 400 g/kg maize in broiler diets without adverse effects in performance. The depression in weight gains observed in birds fed on a diet containing 600 g SPM/kg was related largely to lowered food intake arising from the powdery texture of SPM.

Lipid patterns in patients with chronic occlusive arterial disease affecting lower limbs.

114 consecutive patients with chronic occlusive arterial disease of lower limbs (COADL) had their serum lipid pattern compared with that of 62 controls. 53 had abnormal lipids and 36 multiple abnormalities emphasising the common prevalence of atherosclerosis among patients with COADL in Sri Lanka. 48.6% of patients under 40 years had a lipid abnormality. Smoking and lipid disorders were the main risk factors in the under 50 age group. 14 of 16 patients with aortic occlusions and five of eight patients under 45 years with iliac disease had lipid disorders. 21 of 50 patients with femoropopliteal occlusive disease also had lipid disorders. A consistent dominant lipid disorder affecting most, was not found. Total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio was found to be the commonest abnormality. Serum lipid studies are advocated for those with aortoiliac and femoropopliteal disease.

Anaerobic glucose and serine metabolism in Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Anaerobically grown Staphylococcus epidermidis fermented glucose with the production of lactate and trace amounts of acetate, formate and CO2. Isotopic and inhibitor studies, assays for key enzymes of different metabolic pathways, and fermentation balances, all indicated that glucose was metabolized principally via glycolysis and to a very limited extent by the hexose monophosphate oxidative pathway. Serine fermentation proceeded via deamination and dismutation yielding NH3 and equimolar amounts of lactate, acetate and CO2; small amounts of formate arose by the operation of pyruvate-formate lyase. Incorporation of 0.5% (w/v) glucose in the growth medium depressed serine metabolism by repressing the activities of serine dehydratase and pyruvate dehydrogenase but, conversely, enhanced the activities of phosphofructokinase and lactate dehydrogenase. Glucose-grown organisms at various stages of anaerobic batch growth showed an inverse relationship between the rates of fermentation of serine and glucose. L-Lactate dehydrogenase activity in crude extracts depended on fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase was found to be a class I aldolase. Despite the presence of ribokinase, D-ribose-5-phosphate isomerase, transaldolase and transketolase, the organisms utilized ribose only after growth aerobically in basal medium, and then at a slow rate after an initial lag period.