Sri Lankan Finger Millet (Elucine coracana) Variety ‘Raavana’ as Potential Probiotic Source

This study aims to isolate and identify probiotic potential lactic acid bacteria from fermented Sri Lankan finger millet variety "Raavana" and to investigate the probiotic characteristics, in vitro safety and efficacy. A bacterial isolate with typical lactic acid bacterial phenotypic and biochemical characteristics was isolated and identified. Partial sequence of the 16S rRNA gene of the Sri Lankan strain was deposited in the NCBI gene bank as Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis FM_19LAB and the accession number MF480428 was obtained. It did not demonstrate hemolysis, DNase, gelatine hydrolysis activity as well as did not acquire complete resistance to any of the antibiotics tested hence indicating the safety. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis FM_19LAB had the capacity to tolerate different concentrations of acid, bile, phenol, salt, simulated gastric juices and range of temperatures. Further it exhibited anti-microbial, anticancer and anti-oxidant activities. Further, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis FM_19LAB assimilated cholesterol and produced lactic acid during the fermentation

Isolation and identification of lactic acid bacteria with probiotic potential from fermented flour of selected banana varieties grown in Sri Lanka

This study aimed at isolating and identifying lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with probiotic potential from fermented flour of selected banana varieties grown in Sri Lanka and evaluating their probiotic and safety attributes in vitro. Ten lactic acid bacteria were isolated from six varieties of fermented banana flour, kolikuttu, seeni parakum, ambul nadee, ambum, seeni and anamalu. The isolates were screened for phenotypical and biochemical characteristics. The selected isolates were identified by 16 S rRNA sequencing as Enterococcus durans (two strains), E. gallinarum, E. hirae, E. faecium (two strains), Lactobacillus plantarum, L. curieae, Weissella cibaria and Pediococcus acidilactici and their partial sequences were deposited in NCBI. Among them, six isolates were selected based on the results of in vitro safety attributes and evaluated for their probiotic attributes. Three isolates, namely, E. durans MF405179.1, E. faecium MF574466.1 and L. curieae MF405178.1 isolated from kolikuttu, seeni parakum and ambul nadee, respectively demonstrated tolerance to acid, gastric juice, bile, salt, phenol and temperature under gastric conditions, and also showed susceptibility to tested antibiotics. Among the selected isolates, E. durans MF405179.1 demonstrated the highest hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation of 69.91 % and 76.53 %, respectively. Further, it exhibited highest adhesion to both HCT116 and HT29 cell lines demonstrating 72.5 % and 74.16 % adhesion, respectively. This is the first report of isolation and characterisation of LAB strains with probiotic potential from flour of banana varieties kolikuttu, seeni parakum, ambul nadee, ambum, seeni and anamalu grown in Sri Lanka

Lactic acid bacteria isolated from fermented flour of finger millet, its probiotic attributes and bioactive properties

This study aims to isolate and identify lactic acid bacteria from fermented flour of selected finger millet varieties grown in Sri Lanka and to evaluate their probiotic attributes and bioactive properties in vitro. Fifteen lactic acid bacteria were isolated from three varieties of fermented finger millet flour namely ravi, raavana and oshadha. These isolates were screened for phenotypical and biochemical characteristics. The selected isolates were identified by 16 S rRNA sequencing as Bacillus cereus (five strains), Streptococcus lutetiensis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum (two strains), Brevibacillus borstelensis, Paenibacillus species, Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis, Enterococcus faecium, Pediococcus acidilactici, and Enterococcus lactis, and their partial sequences were deposited in GenBank. Among them, five isolates including two isolates, L. plantarum MF405176.1 and L. fermentum MF033346.1 isolated from ravi; two isolates, L. lactis MF480428.1 and E. faecium MF480431.1 isolated from raavana; and P. acidilactici MF480434.1 isolated from oshadha varieties respectively, exhibited in vitro safety attributes and could tolerate acid, gastric juice, bile, salt, phenol, and temperature under simulated gastric conditions, and also were susceptible to antibiotics tested. Further, they demonstrated bactericidal activity against both drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant pathogens. Among the selected isolates, L. plantarum MF405176.1 demonstrated highest hydrophobicity and adhesion to both colon colorectal adenocarcinoma and colon colorectal carcinoma cell lines. L. lactis subspecies lactis MF480428.1 exhibited the highest auto-aggregation and 2, 2, diphenyl-1-pricrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity. P. acidilactici MF480434.1 demonstrated the lowest IC50 values against HCT-116 and HT-29 cells. None of the LAB isolates could assimilate > 10% cholesterol in vitro

A Model of Economic Determinants of International Visitor Flows to Australia: A Co-integration Analysis.

ECONOMIC MODELS;TOURISM

The Tourism Tax Burden: Evidence from Australia

This paper examines the structure, trends and magnitudes of tourism taxes in Australia. Of the two types of broad taxes, general and special, the former accounts for the largest portion of the total tax revenue: excise duties have been the single major contributor, accounting for more than half of the tax revenue in the 1990s. Following the tax reforms in 2000, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) became the major contributor to tax revenue. A comparison of estimated tourism taxes with comparable sectors indicates that the tourism sector overwhelmingly makes a high contribution to national tax revenue. Similarly, while tax revenue from the all sectors has grown over time, an above-average growth in the tourism taxes is evident, particularly since the introduction of the GST. In conclusion, the Australian tourism sector appears to bear a relatively high tax burden and the burden is rising. The GST, an important element of the tax reforms of 2000, seems to have imposed a disproportionately heavy tax burden on the tourism sector

Income distribution, inequality and poverty in Sri Lanka, 1963-82

The relative intensity of concern between growth and distribution has now gone full circle. The achievement of a high rate of economic growth, the major emphasis of the development strategy, that reached its peak in the \decade of development\" in the 1960s ceded its place of priority to redistribution and eradication of mass poverty in the 1970s. A backswing of this emphasis from redistribution to growth and from direct distributional measures to the \"trickle-down\" has been evident since late 1970s. The world has once again brought the objective of growth to the forefront and redistribution to a relatively low priority. The present study is carried out in the context of this changing emphasis of growth and distribution. This study analyses the pattern of income distribution and poverty in Sri Lanka over the last three decades using income and consumption data gathered from four nationwide surveys of 196373 79 and 82. The study adopts an analytical approach distribution of incomes are examined using two types of disaggregation by economic sectors and ethnic groups. Standard summary and descriptive measures of income inequality are employed. Poverty is analyzed using two poverty lines; absolute versus relative. Separate poverty lines are defined for three major socioeconomic regions: urban rural and estate. Absolute poverty lines are defined on the basis of chosen basic needs and relative poverty lines on the basis of overall living standards of the community. Relative inequality of incomes in Sri Lanka declined between 1963-73 and worsened after 1973. The changes are broad based; inequality of size distribution of personal family [spending units] and per capita incomes declined between 1963- 73 and increased between 1973-82. A similar change in the income inequality was evident among all ethnic groups and within major industrial sectors. This change in the pattern of income distribution is not merely a statistical artifact. It has been accompanied by significant changes in the living standards of the lower income groups. This inference emerges from the analysis of the incidence of absolute poverty. The percentage in absolute poverty in the economy as well as within three major socio-economic regions [urban rural and estate] declined significantly between 1963-73. Between 1973-79 and 79-82 the opposite occurred the incidence of absolute poverty increased with such increases most pronounced between 1973 - 79. The change in the relative poverty however was less pronounced during this period. The changes are explained by referring to the development strategy and growth patterns of the economy. In contrast to many of the suggestions in literature Sri Lankan experience indicates that the pattern of distribution of incomes of an economy is influenced largely by the policy measures rather than the growth per se. Finally the results suggest that the shift from redistribution to 'trickle-down' which occurred during the latter part of the 1970s has brought increased economic inequalities among the Sri Lankan population in general and an absolute impoverishment among the lower income groups in particular.