Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is an underutilized tuber crop in Sri Lanka that produces a gluten-free, easily digestible starch. This research aimed to determine the variance of arrowroot starch granular morphology among the plants grown in five different provinces (Western, North-Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Uva). Arrowroot starch granules were observed using the light microscope and scanning electron microscope. Oval, irregular globular and spherical shapes were the predominant granule shapes for arrowroot. The mean percentage of oval shaped granules ranged between 48.46 % - 59.34 %.          The length and width of the granules were not significantly different among the five provinces. The length of the starch granules ranged between 42.91 - 45.86 µm while the width ranged between 30.81 – 32.32 µm. Arrowroot flour samples from five different provinces in Sri Lanka were not significantly different with regard to the starch granular morphology and therefore, arrowroot flour can be utilized in the local food industry without concerning their geographical locations.

Purpose: Identification of consumer preferences is important in designing products. Producers will immensely benefit by knowing them to capture the market share. In light of this, we evaluate consumers' stated preferences for various attributes of four popular fruits: grapes, sweet orange, pear and pomegranate. Research Method: We run a Rank Ordered Logistic Regression (ROLOGIT) and calculate Willingness to Pay (WTP) for fruit attributes. Findings: We find that the perception of the fruits selected is contingent upon only a handful of attributes. We find that crispness and price are significant attributes in Pear. Price has a non-significant effect on preferences for grapes. Sweetness, shelf life and price significantly influence consumer choice when buying sweet oranges. Seeds that are relatively low in bitterness and softness are the two key attributes influencing the purchase decisions of Pomegranate. Research Limitations: The number of attributes used in the choice card was limited to most important attributes. Additionally, only a main effect model was estimated without considering the interaction effects of attributes in this study. Originality/ Value: Favorable features of fruits in Sri Lankan condition has not been studied so far. Thus, incorporating favorable features of the fruits considered into breeding programs of the local counterparts of these fruits may be fruitful.

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Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) rhizome flour is a good gluten-free substitute for wheat flour. To evaluate the influence of colour on replacing wheat flour with arrowroot flour, the colour attributes of arrowroot flour from five different Provinces (Western, North-Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva) were compared with the colour of standard wheat flour. Using the colour of wheat flour as a standard, the colours of arrowroot flour samples were determined using a colourimeter (PCE-CSM 2, United States). Flour samples were examined for L* (lightness), a* (redness), b* (yellowness), and ΔE (colour deviation). Yellowness was significantly distinct, although lightness and redness were not statistically different. There were negative moderate correlations between L* and a* (-0.791; P < 0.05) and L* and b* (-0.831; P < 0.05). While there were some slight variations in the colour characteristics among different arrowroot flour samples, their colours were highly close to the colour of wheat flour.

The study investigated the functional properties, such as antioxidant activity, phenolic content and ascorbic acid content of the popular leafy vegetable, Alternanthera sessilis ('Mukunuwenna'). Two varieties such as Piliyandala and Colombo Selection grown under four different fertilizer application types namely, Inorganic fertilizer mixture recommended by the Department of Agriculture (Urea 9 kg/1000 m 2 , MOP 13.5 kg/1000 m 2 , TSP 10 kg/1000 m 2 ), Integrated treatment [mixture of inorganic (Urea, MOP and TSP) and organic fertilizer (cattle manure and gliricidia)], Organic fertilizer (cattle manure and gliricidia) and Homescale cultivation (No fertilizer) were used. Antioxidant activity (AOA) of the methanolic leaf extract was determined by using 2, 2diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) Radical Scavenging Assay. Phenolic content (PC) and ascorbic acid content (AAC; IC50 value) were