Volume 14 No. 02 December 2009

The Carotenoids of the Fruit Pulp of Palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer) from Hambantota

2022-02-24T05:36:43Z

The Carotenoids of the Fruit Pulp of Palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer) from Hambantota Priyadarshani, A.M.B.; Jansz, E.R.; Peiris, H. The Hambantota district has relatively new plantations of palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer) and appear to be the future for industrial products from this tree. The tree with morphological type lIB fruit dominates plantations (>90%). Specimens of this type were selected for carotenoid analysis. Total carotenoid content was relatively low; 15.5 to 35.4 mg.l Oug' on the basis of dry weight (DW). Carotenoids were dominated by those of the hydrocarbon type. No oxygenated carotenoids were detected in the petroleum' ether and diethyl ether extracts. Highest contents of carotenoids were phytofluene; from 2.8 to 4.8 mg. IOOg-' DW, phytoene from 5.7 to 10.3 mg.IOOg-'DW and unidentified carotenoids I, II, III and IV from 0.7 to 1.9 mg. 1OOg-' OW, 0.7 to 3.4 mg.l Oug' DW, 4.7 to 16.4 mg.Iuog' DW and 0.6 to 1.1 mg. 1OOg-' DW, respectively. p-Carotene and s-carotene were present in traces. Retinol equivalent (RE)',was negligible. As is usual for palmyrah, lycopene and the right fork of carotenoid biosynthesis pathway were absent.

Size Related Changes in Fat Content and Fatty Acid Composition of Amblygaster sirm (Spotted Sardinella, Hurulla)

2022-02-24T05:36:45Z

Size Related Changes in Fat Content and Fatty Acid Composition of Amblygaster sirm (Spotted Sardinella, Hurulla) Ranasinghe, T.R.; Attygalle, M.V.E. In the present study the fat content and fatty acid compositions in three size classes «15cm, 15-20cm, >20cm) of male and female Amblygaster sirm (Spotted sardinella, Hurulla) were evaluated. The fat content increased gradually with increasing size of the fish. While both males and females showed the above increase with size, the fat content of the female (4.15%) was consistently higher than that of the male (3.6%) Like most other fish unsaturated fatty acids were dominated by two members of then-3 family, EPA and DHA.

Seasonal Changes in the Abundance of Biological Agents Killing Microcystis aeruginosa in a Hypereutrophic Pond

2022-02-24T05:51:15Z

Seasonal Changes in the Abundance of Biological Agents Killing Microcystis aeruginosa in a Hypereutrophic Pond Manage, P.M. Seasonal changes in abundance of the heterotrophic flagellates Polytomella sp., rotifers Cephalodella sp., Brachionus caliciflorous and the testate amoeba Penardochlamys sp. as grazers, cyanophages and algicidal bacteria as infectious agents on mortality of cyanobacterium, Microcysis aeruginosa was intensively studied in a hypereutrophic pond from September to November 2000. Abundance of the rotifers Cephalodella sp., B. caliciflorous and the Penardochlamys sp. were relatively high with large fluctuations. The cell density of M. aeruginosa ranged between 3.0 x 105 to 1.9 X 107 cells ml', where those of algicidal bacteria were between 0.3 x 12 to 3.7 x 102 PFU ml' and cyanohages were between 0.9 x 103 to 7.1 X 103 PFU ml". Algicidal bacteria were relatively high with fluctuation between 0.3 x 104 to 3.7 X 104 PFU mr' and bacterial peaks were followed with M. aeruginosa peaks. Occasional cyanophages peaks on 2 and 20 October were followed by sudden collapse of M. aeruginosa bloom. Percentages of M. aeruginosa cells in food vacuole of Penardochlamys sp. was high (>77%) during September following increase of the M. aeruginosa cell density. The flagellate Polytomella sp. was increased to a peak (2.5 x 105 indi. m') from 10 to 17 November with decrease of M. aeruginosa cell density. The percentage of B. caluciflorous individuals ingesting colonies of M. aeruginosa during the bloom period Mal/age was significantly high CHest, P77%) during the bloom period. The food vacuoles of Penardichlamys sp. contained only Microcystis indicating it's specific preference of Microcystis. The overall results of the study suggest the grazers' protozoa; Polytomella sp., and the testate amoeba Penardochlamys sp., zooplankton; Cephalodella sp. and Brachionus caliciflorous, cyanophages and algicidal bacteria successively involved in suppressing M. aeruginosa bloom in a freshwater environment.

Mineral Spectrum in Different Body Parts of Five Species of Tuna Consumed in Sri Lanka

2022-02-24T05:36:44Z

Mineral Spectrum in Different Body Parts of Five Species of Tuna Consumed in Sri Lanka Karunarathna, K.A.A.U.; Attygalle, M.V.E. The mineral spectrum of five species of tuna namely; skipjack (Balaya, Katsuwonus pelamisi ,Yellow fin tuna (Kellawalla, Thunnus albacares), Bullet tuna( Ragoduwa, Auxis rochei), Frigate tuna (Alagoduwa, Auxis thazard) and kawakawa (Attawalla, Euthynnus affinis'[ were detected in skin, red muscle, white muscle, head muscle and belly flap using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GBC 932 plus). Both macro and micro elements were detected in all tunas studied. Accordingly from the recorded minerals K was the most abundant macro element as its mean concentration among the tunas studied ranged from 246.94±62.27 to 293.84±77.78mgIlOOg and the highest K level among the different body parts, was recorded in the skin (p