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

Essential nutrients in lemon

Lemon juice has proven effective in protecting blood vessels from hardening. Key nutrients in lemons include vitamin C, fiber, fructose, sucrose, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, citron, citric acid, sodium, zinc, copper, vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2, vitamin B3, panthotenic acid, vitamin B6, and small amount of lipids.

Lemons one of the best food sources of vitamin C. One small (1g/3.5 oz) contains 60-100 mg of vitamin C. Consuming one lemon a day cman provide most, of daily requirement It’s best to consume lemon freshly squeezed, as 20 percent of its vitamin C is lost eight hours at room temperature or 24 hours in a refrigerator.

Important phytochemicals include limonene, anthocyanins, psoralen, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, ferulic acid, hesperidin, monoterpenes, saponins, triterpenoids, quecertin, catechins, P-coumeric acid, sinapic acid, thymol, umbelliferone, rutin, coumarin, phenethyl isothiocyanate, phytosterols and beta-carotene.

Beta-carotene, involved in vision function, is a precursor to and plant form of vitamin A. It is considered the most important of the caoretnoids. Lemons also contain two types of fiber: cellulose, which strengthens cell walls and pectin, which binds cells together. Pectin dissolves in water in the digestive tract to form a gel. It is an antioxidant.
Essential nutrients in lemon