title: Physico-chemical properties, wax composition, aroma profiles, and antioxidant activity of granulated non-centrifugal sugars from sugarcane cultivars of Thailand.
abstract: Non-centrifugal cane sugar (NCS) is globally consumed and has various health benefits. It is mostly produced in hardened block form, which is less convenient than in granulated form for food applications. In terms of the traditional processing of NCS, preparation of granulated products is difficult due to the impurities found in the cane juice extracted from the whole stalk. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize and determine the physico-chemical properties, wax composition (policosanols and long-chain aldehydes), volatile aroma profiles, and antioxidant activity of traditional NCS in granular form made from four different cane cultivars of Thailand. The total soluble solid, pH, color, and mineral content varied among the sugarcane cultivars, whereas there was no significant difference in the total sugar, phenolic and flavonoid content. The total policosanol, a cholesterol-lowering nutraceutical wax component, and long-chain aldehyde contents were similar in the NCS products amongst three cultivars, and ranged from 2.63 to 3.69 mg/100 g. The granulated NCS products, in which acetaldehyde and dimethyl sulfide were the main volatile compounds, gave less aroma components than traditional NCS. The use of different sugarcane cultivars thus influenced the quality attributes of granulated non-centrifugal sugar products.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agro-Industry, Faculty of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Naresuan University, 99 Moo 9, Muang Phitsanulok, 65000 Thailand.
authors.forename: Monthana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weerawatanakorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213 Japan.
authors.forename: Yonathan
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0982-3866
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asikin
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213 Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213 Japan.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213 Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Rutgers University, 65 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA.
authors.forename: Chi-Tang
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Sukhothai Agricultural Research and Development Center, Khongtan, Srisamrong, Sukhothai 64120 Thailand.
authors.forename: Raweewan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chuekittisak
keywords: Antioxidant activity; Non-centrifugal cane sugar; Physico-chemical properties; Policosanol; Volatile aroma components