Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of non‐refined sugarcane alternatives to white sugar

Abstract

Summary Antioxidant properties of commercial sugarcane‐derived products were analysed to study their suitability for being used as functional ingredients. Cane honey, several jaggeries and several brown sugars were selected from the market and analysed in terms of physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant properties, and compared with white refined sugar (twelve products in total). Moisture, water activity, total soluble solids, pH, colour and sugar profile are reported. As for antioxidant properties, total phenols and flavonoid content, as well as antiradical ability (DPPH˙ and the TEAC‐ABTS methods), are given. All sugarcane products contained phenols and flavonoids and exhibited in vitro antioxidant activity, determined by degree of refining. Among the alternatives analysed, jaggeries and cane honey showed the best antioxidant properties. Thermal treatment did not significantly affect the antioxidant capacity of sugarcane products, especially jaggeries. As sugar‐rich products are widely consumed worldwide, the use of non‐refined sugarcane derivatives in food formulation is encouraged.

Spectrophotometric Estimation of Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Molasses and Vinasses Generated from the Sugarcane Industry

“…The MC was determined by weight difference after vacuum drying for 24 h (65 ± 2 °C, 13 kPa) [29]. The TSS quantification was made by measuring the refractive index at 20 °C using a refractometer with electronic temperature control and conversion to Brix degrees values (Index Instruments Ltd. Model TCR [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. The pH readings were done directly on the vinasse samples and diluted molasses with a digital pH-meter (Hach ® Model HQ11D).…”

“…Although multiple studies have explored some of the products and by-products derived from sugarcane processing as a source of bioactive antioxidant compounds [4,15,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23], the present study focuses on molasses and even more in vinasses since the latter are the less explored byproduct in the sugarcane industry in terms of its potential biological activity. Among the molecules that have been isolated from different matrices from sugarcane processing it is possible to find several compounds such as apigenin, luteolin, tricine, quercetin, and gallic, caffeic, chlorogenic, ferulic, vanillic, and syringic acids, among others [4,15,17,18,21,24].…”

Antioxidant activity, nutritional and physicochemical characteristics, and toxicity of minimally refined brown sugar and other sugars

“…Interest in polyphenols, including flavonoids and phenolic acids, has considerably increased because several studies have demonstrated that the toxic effects of phenolic compounds depend on phenolic concentration (Guimarães et al, 2007;Payet, Sing, & A., Smadja, J, 2006;Valli et al, 2012). Numerous studies have evaluated the potential toxicity of natural sweeteners, such as honey, molasses, and syrups (Guimarães et al, 2007;Payet et al, 2006;Seguí, Calabuig-Jiménez, Betoret, & Fito, 2015;Valli et al, 2012). MRBS has been recently commercialized in Malaysia because of its antioxidant content.…”

Evaluating taste contribution of brown sugar in chicken seasoning using taste compounds, sensory evaluation, and electronic tongue

“…In contrast, brown sugar is a nonrefined product from sugarcane. [36] Sample AL contained 15.61 g.kg −1 glucose. Fructose was not detected in any of the samples.…”