Professor (mrs.) B. Jayawardena

Biography

It is well known that plant essential oils have antimicrobial properties. My interests are to develop products from essential oils to control post harvest pathogens in fruits and vegetables. The amount of essential oils present in plants is quite small. Therefore analytical methods have to be developed to improve the efficiency of extraction. I am making efforts to extract essential oils using enzyme assisted methods and superheated water. Another area of interests is to develop products for the horticultural industry using coconut water. Large quantities of coconut water are generated by the desiccated coconut industry and the coconut oil industry. At present the water is not utilized for anything and it has created environmental issues. Therefore we are attempting to utilize coconut water to extend the vase life of cut flowers and to improve rooting and shooting of ornamental plants.

Research Interest

My interests are to develop products from essential oils to control post harvest pathogens in fruits and vegetables.