Nutrient rich sugarcane

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linn.), pertaining to the Poaceae family, has been harvested worldwide for its economical and medicinal valued products.

Sugarcane contains fructose and glucose and remains the cheapest energy giving crop. The presence of the flavonoids, phenolic acids, and several other phenolic compounds in sugarcane, allows for an antioxidant activity of its syrup and juices.

The traditional growing cycle of sugar cane for production of sugar is from 12 to 18 months during which the following changes take place: an increase in stem relative to leaf; increase in concentration of total sugars in the juice; conversion of reducing sugars to sucrose; increasing lignification of the structural cell wall carbohydrates.

The fresh sugarcane culms are ground to obtain the refreshing sugarcane juice. It is highly nutritious, containing natural sugars, several minerals, vitamins, amino acids, organic acids, starch, phosphatides, and gums. Consuming 100 mL sugarcane releases, 40 kcal energy, 10 mg calcium, 1.1 mg iron, and 6 μg carotene in the body.

Potassium (K+) and chloride (Cl−) were the most abundant cation and anion in the sugarcane juice.

Sugarcane juice is obtained by grinding the sugarcane culms. Basically, it comprises of 70 - 75% water, 13 - 15% sucrose, and 10 - 15% fibre. Approximately 9.8% of sugars were present in juice, and most sugar was sucrose (9.6%). The fibre consists of 43.3% cellulose, 23.8% hemicellulose, and 21.7% lignin.

All the coloured components from sugarcane juice were classified into four major classes: Plant pigments, polyphenolic compounds, caramels, and degradation products of sugars condensed with amino derivatives.
Nutrient rich sugarcane