Optimization of Shelf Stability of Sugarcane Juice with Natural Preservatives

Abstract

Extracts of moringa seed and leaf (Moringa oleifera); lemon (Citrus limon) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) were added to fresh sugarcane juice in different combinations and evaluated on storage at 2, 4 and 30C. Combination of moringa seed extract with lemon and ginger showed high antimicrobial activity when compared with sodium benzoate (as chemical preservative), at the permitted level. Lemon lowered the pH of sugarcane juice to 3.01 and inhibited the growth of microorganisms during storage. Further, phytochemical analysis of methanol extract of moringa seeds and leaves revealed polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins and terpenoid compounds. It was revealed that good quality sugarcane juice (100 mL) with satisfactory storage stability at refrigeration could be prepared from heat‐treated juice (72C for 15 sec) before addition of lemon (3 mL) as a combination of flavor, color enhancer and source of citric acid (antioxidant); moringa (10 mL); ginger (0.6 mL) as flavor enhancer. Practical Applications Sugarcane juice is popularly consumed in India. But large‐scale production by mechanizing the manufacturing process is not carried out. Preserving raw sugarcane juice is a challenging problem because it spoils within hours of extraction. The manufacturers rely on the chemical preservatives for extending the shelf‐life of sugarcane juice, which restricts its production. The research work was carried out to remove the chemical‐dependent constraint with an aim to optimize the shelf‐life conditions of sugarcane juice with natural preservatives. A combination of natural preservatives and low temperature storage was found as an effective way of preservation for more than a month with satisfactory sensory qualities. The findings will pave way for the marketability of sugarcane juice.

Sugarcane juice stability in plastic bottle treated with silver and zinc oxide

“…Saxena et al reported pH values and soluble solids for raw cane juice of 4.42 and 19.6 °Brix, respectively. In a study by Ramachandran et al on the optimization of cane juice's shelf life, the pH value was 5.2. Sanda et al reported a pH of 5.28.…”

A combination of evaporation and chemical preservation for long‐term storage of fresh sweet sorghum juice and subsequent bioethanol production

“…The degradation of sucrose might be caused by the acid invertase enzymes that are produced by a few yeast species in the preserved juice (Hanko & Rohrer, 2000). In previous studies, several microorganisms (e.g., lactobacillus, yeast and molds) were also isolated, which were responsible for the spoilage of sugars and caused discoloration and the reduced the pH of SSJ (Bhatia, Uppal, Thind, & Batta, 2009;Ramachandran et al, 2017;Rao et al, 2012). Sucrose was converted into dextran though dextransucrase enzyme from Leuconostoc spp (Kin & Robyt, 1995).…”

“…Sucrose was converted into dextran though dextransucrase enzyme from Leuconostoc spp (Kin & Robyt, 1995). In previous studies, several microorganisms (e.g., lactobacillus, yeast and molds) were also isolated, which were responsible for the spoilage of sugars and caused discoloration and the reduced the pH of SSJ (Bhatia, Uppal, Thind, & Batta, 2009;Ramachandran et al, 2017;Rao et al, 2012). The above microorganisms were also isolated from the fresh SSJ in the pre-experiments.…”

“…As a perishable commodity, the SSJ is easy deteriorated in the storage pile with a very short shelf life (4-5 hr) (Kumar, Rao, Gupta, Malapaka, & Kamal, 2015). The decay of the SSJ was mainly caused by the metabolism of the spoilage microorganisms (Ramachandran, Rani, Lavanya, Ninetha, & Usha, 2017;Singh, Gaikwad, & More, 2014). To date, different methods such as pH control (Vargas-Ramirez, Haagenson, Pryor, & Wiesenborn, 2013), freezing (Begum, Arefin, Islam, & Islam, 2015), pasteurizing (Kumar, Rao, Gupta, Malapaka, & Kamal, 2013), irradiation (Sankhla, Chaturvedi, Kuna, & Dhanlakshmi, 2012), and chemical preservation were widely applied to extend the storage period of the fermentable juice in the food industry.…”

The shelf life of standardized sugarcane juice stored under refrigeration

“…This presents obstacles to its industrial-scale production because it limits the manufacturer's opportunities. (Ramachandran et al, 2017). Considering the growing interest in the ready-to-drink cane juice, the development of processing technologies which promote security and stability, enable better distribution, and encourage the agroindustry is highly relevant.…”