Recent research has demonstrated the relationship between the aging process, the damaging effects of free radicals on tissue cells and the beneficial impact on blood plasma antioxidant capacity of the increased daily intake of antioxidant-rich foods. Two Japanese studies, published in the 2001 and 2002 Sugar Industry Technologists (SIT) Technical Proceedings, have presented the physiological effects of sugarcane extracts, viz. promotion of resistance against viral and bacterial infections, stimulation of the immune response, protection against liver injuries and promotion of growth in chickens.
The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) method to quantify the antioxidant property, as promulgated by USDA scientists, has been used to rank common foods (ORAC units/100 g). Prunes (5,770) and blueberries (2,400) top the list, trailed by such health food industry favourites as kale (1,770) and spinach (1,260). ORAC values of various sugarcane products, as reported by Dr. Saska (Saska and Chou, 2002) of Louisiana State University, range from some 5000 (ORAC units/100g dried solid) to over 35,000, and antioxidants in concentrated sugarcane extracts obtained from cane juice were found to contain over one million ORAC units (µmole TE/100 g dry solids).
Laboratory tests were undertaken at the Audubon Sugar Institute of Louisiana State University, USA and the South China University of Technology of China to establish the basic elements of a realistic recovery/extraction process and to confirm the antioxidant properties of the products.
Under the direction of Dr. Chou, the President and Principal Engineer of Dr. Chou Technologies, Inc. (eSugarTech), pilot plant sugarcane extraction tests were conducted at the Taiwan Sugar Corporation in Taiwan and the Parry Sugar Company in India.
The design parameters derived from the pilot tests were scaled up for commercial production in a 4000 ton per day sugarcane factory. The sugarcane extract with mega antioxidant activities from the commercial production has a trademark of "MEGANOX™". A patent was also granted in China, the largest potential market for antioxidants in the future.
Antioxidant Activities
Antioxidants act to counter oxygen radicals which have been linked to a long list of life threatening diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and degenerative diseases suggesting potential health benefits. (1,2)
Potential Replacement for Synthetic Antioxidants as a Preservative
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydorxytoluene (BHT) have been widely used in food application despite their suspected carcinogenic effect. (3,4) Sugarcane extract is a potential replacement for these compounds.
Cosmetic Applications
Compounds in the extract exhibit Tyrosinase inhibitory activities and play an important part in the cosmetic industry as they are incorporated in skin whitening creams. (5)
Literature Cited:
(1) Chung, Y. M., Wang, H. C., et al., Antioxidant and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Constituents from a Desugared Sugar Cane Extract, a By-Product of Sugar Production. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, American Chemical Society Publication, USA, 2011, 59, 9219 – 9225.
(2) Stohs, S. J., Bagchi, D. Oxidative Mechanisms in the Toxicity of Metal Ions. Free Radical Biol. Med. 1995, 18, 321 – 336.
(3) Whysner, J., Wang, C. X., et al., Dose Response of Promotion of Butylated Hydroxyanisole in Chemically Initiated Tumors of the Rat Forestomach. Food Chem. Toxicol. 1994, 32, 215 – 222.
(4) Williams, G. M., Latropoulos, M. J. et al., Safety Assessment of Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene as Antioxidant Food Additives. Food Chem. Toxicol. 1999, 37, 1027 - 1038.
(5) Kobayashi, T., Vieira W. D., et al., Modulation of Melanogenic Protein Expression During the Switch from Eu to Pheomelanogenesis. J. Cell Sci. 1995, 108, 2301 – 2309.
Sixty-Eighth Annual Technical Conference, May 2009, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| Items | Contents |
|---|---|
| Concentration of extract (Brix) | 67.53 |
| pH | 6.43 |
| Conductivity (µs/cm) | 1880 |
| Color (IU) | 833,137 |
| Polyphenolic content on dried weight (%) | 27.64 |
| ORAC (µmole TE/g dried solid) | 6,900 |
| TEAC (µmole TE /g dry solid) | 3279 |
| DPPH (%) | 94.6 |
| SOD (U/g) | 3332.1 |
| Acute oral toxicity : LD50 > 15g/kg body weight | Passed |
| Molasses color (IU) | 95,000 |
| Microbe | (CFU/g) |
|---|---|
| Staphylococcus aureus | ND (not detected) |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | ND |
| Mold | ND |
| Yeast | ND |
| Extract | Concentration (%) | Polyphenol Content on Dry Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Sugarcane Extract | 70.95 | 23.67 |
| Grape Extract | 4.22 | 0.84 |
| Red Wine Extract | 1.31 | 8.34 |
| Oleuropein Extract | 6.03 | 1.35 |
| Green Tea Extract | 1.43 | 4.39 |
Dietary supplements rich in antioxidants are widely available and they vary greatly in their antioxidant properties. Using the standard ORAC method for comparison, MEGANOX™ has one of the highest ORAC values to help counter the effects of excessive free radicals. It contains over one million ORAC units per 100 grams. Wild blueberry is around 14,000 ORAC per 100 grams. Raw cocoa bean is around 28,000 ORAC per 100 grams.
Need more antioxidants in your diet?
Try one or more of these:
| Material Safety Data Sheet | |
| Product Identification | |
| Name of Product | MEGANOX™ D |
| Description | Dried refined sugarcane molasses |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Appearance | Dark brown, dried powder |
| Hazards Identification | |
| Eyes | Slight stimulus to eyes |
| Skin | No hazard |
| Inhalation | No hazard - avoid dust, if any |
| Ingestion | No hazard |
| First Aid Measures | |
| Eyes | Rinse with water for at least five (5) minutes |
| Material Safety Data Sheet | |
| Product Identification | |
| Name of Product | MEGANOX™ L |
| Description | Liquid refined sugarcane molasses |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Appearance | Dark brown, viscous liquid |
| Specific Gravity | 1.2 to 1.3 |
| Hazards Identification | |
| Eyes | Slight stimulus to eyes |
| Skin | No hazard |
| Inhalation | No hazard |
| Ingestion | No hazard |
| First Aid Measures | |
| Eyes | Rinse with water for at least five (5) minutes |
