RESCON 2024
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- ItemNovel approach to automated solar powered hybrid dna electrophoresis equipment(Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS) University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2024-11-01) Wijethunge, S. R.; Rodrigo, Chamanthi; Sandaruwan, M. G. C.; Samaraweera, ChathuraDue to a lack of domestic repair and manufacturing, Sri Lanka faces a shortage of several instruments important for research activities. Agarose gel electrophoresis equipment is a simple but vital tool in biomedical sciences specially in the areas of genetics and molecular biology. It is used to separate mixtures of DNA, RNA, or proteins according to their size and charge. There are various versions and agarose gel electrophoresis uses an electric field to separate a mixed population of macromolecules in an agarose matrix. Conventional gel electrophoresis setups further require additional separate devices such as power supplies and UV illuminators to visualize DNA. This increases the cost and requires manual monitoring during an analysis. This study addressed these issues by presenting a novel, low-cost gel electrophoresis machine that could test DNA samples, specifically to be used in Sri Lankan laboratories. The machine utilizes readily available materials in the country and integrates the gel running unit, power unit, and illuminator into a single system. User-friendly features include a high-end display with a graphical user interface (GUI), an in-built illuminator with image processing functionalities, cloud-based data management, and Raspberry Pi programmed with the help of AI to control for stand-alone operation. Additionally, the machine incorporates solar power as a secondary source and a battery management system for enhanced reliability. The cost of production is extremely lower than the current market price in the country. Therefore, this low-cost, locally sourced machine offers a sustainable solution for Sri Lankan laboratories, reducing reliance on imported equipment and minimizing maintenance costs.
- ItemPrediction of potential sulfonamide-like antimicrobial phytochemicals using KNIME and machine learning-based approach(Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS) University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2024-11-01) Swetha, B.; Wijesinghe, W. R. P.Sulfonamide drugs are the first synthesised, selectively toxic antibiotics. They mimic p aminobenzoic acid (PABA) to hinder folate production, which is crucial for DNA replication and thereby inhibit bacterial growth. Sulfonamides have broad-spectrum activity and are vital in treating several bacterial infections, like urinary tract infections and respiratory infections. Though different antibiotics are currently available, sulfonamides are significant, especially for patients allergic to penicillin. This study aimed to discover novel sulfonamide like compounds from phytochemicals using a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) approach, a productive and cost-effective technique that allows the determination of the structural and biological similarities between the chemical compounds. The QSAR approach was implemented on the KNIME platform, version 5.2.5, along with cheminformatics extensions. Structural data for 407 phytochemicals, 18 FDA-approved sulfonamide drugs, and 21 control drugs were obtained from the ChEMBL database in SMILES format. These data were processed in KNIME to generate MACCS molecular fingerprints using the RDKit nodes. Three types of Machine learning (ML) models, Random Forest (RF), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM), were trained to detect sulfonamide-like molecules, and the models were able to achieve a high prediction accuracy of 99.30%, 99.55%, and 99.33%, respectively. Both RF and ANN predicted Kaempferol-3-O-P-D-glucoside, a phytochemical obtained from Saraca indica, as a potential sulfonamide drug, while the SVM model did not identify any phytochemicals. The bioavailability of the predicted compound was confirmed by a drug likeliness test using Lipinski’s rule of five. In this study, Kaempferol-3-O-P-D-glucoside was identified as a promising compound for producing a novel sulfonamide antibiotic drug. However, further in-vitro and in-vivo experiments are required to confirm its potential to develop novel sulfonamides and utilise it for clinical purposes as an antibiotic. In addition, this study demonstrated the effectiveness of KNIME and ML models in computer-based drug discovery.
- ItemEffective corrosion barrier of cinnamon leaf oil incorporated polypyrrole layers for mild steel(Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2020-11-01) Palipana, P. W. G. K.; Revon, M. H. N.; Priyantha, N.Mild steel, a type of steel commonly used in industry, is prone to corrosion under certain environmental conditions, which has limited its industrial applications, necessitating intensive study into corrosion prevention techniques. In recent years, conducting polymers and green corrosion inhibitors have been independently identified as corrosion inhibitors, and less consideration has been given over the past years on the combined effect of polymers and natural inhibitors. This study aimed to investigate the corrosion inhibition efficiency by cinnamon leaf oil embedded polypyrrole layers. The electrodeposition of polypyrrole on mild steel was employed using cyclic voltametric scans from -0.2 V to 1.0 V in oxalic acid medium and polymer-coated specimens were subsequently dipped in cinnamon leaf oil to incorporate into the polymer film. Under moderate acidic conditions of HCl medium, mass loss measurements of rectangular mild steel specimens embedded with cinnamon leaf oil, polypyrrole, and the combination of both over one-week period were obtained. The results revealed a superior corrosion inhibitory behaviour of the combined layer having the decreasing order of corrosion inhibition efficiency: polypyrrole and cinnamon leaf oil > polypyrrole > cinnamon leaf oil. Polarization resistance determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, a more reliable method, further supports the strong corrosion inhibitory action of the combined layer on mild steel when compared to polypyrrole and cinnamon leaf oil alone. Open circuit potential measurements also indicate a lower corrosion rate when mild steel specimens are coated with the polymer and cinnamon leaf oil.
- ItemAntioxidant, antidiabetic, cytotoxic and phytotoxic properties of two medicinal plants, Buchanania axillaris and Curcuma longa(Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2024-11-01) Premasiri, H. A. K. D.; Siriwardhane, U.; Piyasena, N. P.; Adikaram, N. K. B.; Marikkar, N.; Jayasinghe, U. L. B.Medicinal plants are a rich source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and agrochemicals. This study aimed to assess the bioactivities of extracts from Buchanania axillaris leaves and rhizomes of Curcuma longa. They were collected domestically within the Kandy District, Sri Lanka. Plant material was air-dried and ground to obtain a homogenous powder using a grinder. The powdered samples were extracted into methanol by sonicating for 30 min. This procedure was repeated twice, and the filtrates were combined and evaporated to dryness using a rotary evaporator. The crude extracts were evaluated for antioxidant activity using triplicates for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, enzyme inhibitory activity against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase, and 10 nauplii for cytotoxicity through the brine shrimp lethality assay, and 10 seeds for phytotoxicity by the lettuce seed germination assay. The results demonstrated that B. axillaris exhibited potent antioxidant activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 0.03 ± 0.07 mg/L for DPPH radical scavenging activity, than C. longa (61.49 ± 0.57 mg/L). Positive control was ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ = 3.47 ± 0.45 mg/L). Both extracts displayed α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, with 100% inhibition at 1000 mg/L, indicating their potential in managing diabetes. Curcuma longa showed moderate α-amylase inhibitory activity, with an IC₅₀ of 465.81 ± 23.31 mg/L (Positive Control-Acarbose IC₅₀ = 8.87 ± 1.21 mg/L). Neither extract exhibited significant lipase inhibitory effects within the tested concentration range. The cytotoxicity assay revealed potent brine shrimp lethality for C. longa, with a LC₅₀ of 20.01 ± 3.14 mg/L, against the positive control, atropine, LC₅₀ = 88.60 ± 8.11 mg/L. Buchanania axillaris exhibited phytotoxic potency with IC₅₀ values of 520.97 ± 15.14 mg/L and 665.14 ± 20.54 mg/L, while C. longa exhibited IC₅₀ values of 625.29 ± 12.76 mg/L and 586.53 ± 9.32 mg/L, compared to the positive control, abscisic acid (IC₅₀ = 1.46 ± 0.19 mg/L and 1.85 ± 0.31 mg/L) for root and shoot inhibition, respectively, suggesting potential applications as natural herbicides. The findings indicate promising bioactivities of B. axillaris and C. longa extracts, suggesting further exploration for potential applications in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and agriculture.
- ItemBoosting Penicillin activity using Coriandrum sativum seed extracts against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2024-11-01) Karunathilaka, S.; Warnakula, P.; Darshana, D.The rise of antibiotic resistance, particularly among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), underscores the urgent need for novel strategies to enhance antibiotic efficacy. Coriandrum sativum L. is an aromatic herbaceous plant with traditional medicinal uses. This study investigated the ability of C. sativum seed extracts to boost penicillin activity against MRSA. The primary objective was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of crude seed extracts of C. sativum against pathogenic bacteria and compare their effectiveness alone and in combination with penicillin against MRSA. Dried C. sativum seeds were sequentially extracted with hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water using a Soxhlet apparatus, and their antibacterial activity was determined using the disk diffusion method. Ciprofloxacin (2 mg/mL) and DMSO were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. The interaction between seed extracts and penicillin was tested using MRSA as the model organism. Results showed that hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts significantly inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), MRSA (clinical isolate) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), with inhibition zone diameters (IZD) exceeding 10 mm, while the aqueous extract showed limited activity (IZD > 23 mm), inhibiting only E. coli. None of the extracts was effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853). Ciprofloxacin inhibited all the tested organisms, showing an IZD >32 mm, while DMSO was inactive against all the tested organisms. Notably, combining half and one-fourth the concentration of penicillin's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) with ethyl acetate extract of C. sativum also at half MIC demonstrated enhanced inhibition of MRSA (IZD > 7 mm). This interaction suggests that C. sativum extracts can potentiate penicillin's efficacy as a promising strategy to counteract antibiotic resistance. The study concludes that seed extracts of C. sativum possess notable antibacterial activity and can be used to enhance the efficacy of penicillin against MRSA. Further research should focus on isolating and characterizing the active phytochemicals in C. sativum, investigating their interactions with other antibiotics to develop formulations to incorporate C. sativum extracts into clinical applications.