Establishing protocols for Glycaemic Index clinical trials in an academic setting in Sri Lanka

Nikalansooriya NMAI1*, Somaratne GM1, Maithreepala SD2, Gunasekara DCS3, Wijekoon AP1, Dahanayake TN1, Sandaruwan NBL1, Karunarathna HKAT2, Madhumali KDU2, Abeysiriwardena DSDZ4, Chandrasekara A5, and Prasantha BDR1

1Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
2Department of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
3CIC Food and Nutrition Research Laboratory, CIC Agri businesses (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka
4CIC Agri businesses (Pvt) Ltd, Pelwehera, Dambulla, Sri Lanka
5Department of Applied Nutrition, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka has initiated a Healthy Human Clinical Trial Unit (CTU) dedicated to post-prandial glycaemic response (PPGR) analysis. The present study, involving 42 participants aged 22-25 years, assessed the glycaemic index (GI) of four rice varieties: Super Kernel, Rathu Suduru, Ceylon Purple, and Red Fragrant. The results identified GI values ranging from 40 to 61, categorizing these varieties into low and medium GI groups, with Super Kernel and Rathu Suduru representing the lowest (40 ± 5.5) and the highest (61 ± 5.5) GI values, respectively. Glycaemic load (GL) values ranged from 8 to 12, falling into low and medium categories. This pioneering initiative validates the effectiveness of CTU in precise GI and GL evaluation for food labelling, which are essential for informing consumers about how different types of food impact the sugar levels in the bloodstream. Also, it is a precedent for future clinical nutrition research, emphasizing the need for consistent, and harmonized methodologies in academic and regulatory contexts to support broader public health goals by providing accurate nutritional information to consumers. The processes and standards are detailed in a comprehensive guidebook (ISBN 978-624-94637-0-7), supporting the continuation and expansion of further PPGR studies.

Keywords: Clinical trial unit, Glycaemic index, Glycaemic load, Nutritional labelling, Post-prandial glycaemic response

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Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana, Kamburupitiya, Sri Lanka

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