Sugar Tech最新文献

There is controversy on the impact of traditional and artificial sweeteners on the healthy human lifestyle. This study aims to identify the pattern of postprandial blood glucose response after the intake of 3 different types of value-added coconut jaggery, followed by a glycemic index analysis (GI). The sap was collected with hal bark (Vateria capallifera) (HAL jaggery); the sap was collected through a new sap collection device followed by the addition of different spices of 0.2% cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) (CIN jaggery) and 0.05% nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)(NUT jaggery) used for the production of jaggery. The type of starch (digestible, resistant, and total) was evaluated using the in vitro digestion method stimulated with artificial gastric enzymes. The glucose concentration of postprandial blood was analyzed using an in vivo clinical study using human subjects who fasted for approximately 8 h as an initial assessment followed by an intake of a carbohydrate-containing sample (50 g). The resistant starch content of HAL jaggery (0.45 ± 0.05%) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the other 2 types. There was no significant effect of the addition of spices and the collecting method on digestible starch and total starch content of coconut jaggery. The glucose peak of the types of HAL jaggery (143.33 ± 12. 61 mg/dl), CIN jaggery (153.07 ± 15.25 mg/dl), and NUT jaggery (145.13 ± 22.39 mg/dl) types has shown a similar pattern. In vivo, glycemic testing of jaggery types has confirmed 3 types of jaggery as medium GI sweeteners with 55.79 ± 20.36, 57.56 ± 22.95, and 57.56 ± 22.95 for HAL, NUT, and CIN jaggery, respectively. The principal component analysis further confirmed the negative relationship between starch type and glycemic index of jaggery.

Sugarcane juice is consumed as a beverage in many sugarcane growing countries. A metabolome characterization of the flavor variation in sugarcane juice is yet to be reported. In this paper, the effects of sugarcane varieties on sugarcane juice were studied using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and headspace solid-phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). These methods enabled determination of volatile and non-volatile metabolome profiles. The results revealed a total of 1992 metabolites, and that juice from different sugarcane varieties had unique metabolic profiles. In addition, the diversity in composition and abundance of metabolites, including amino acids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, lipids, and others, as well as their derivatives in juices, resulted in significant differences in taste, giving the juices distinctive flavors. This research provides a theoretical basis and experimental pipeline to reveal flavor differences in sugarcane juices from different sugarcane varieties, which may have important scientific applications.

In response to the growing demand for agricultural products and the increasing constraints on natural resources, the valorization of agricultural residues offers a sustainable approach to seedling production. Heavy dependence on imported media such as cocopeat increases production costs and limits local sustainability. This study developed Jiffy pellets from sugarcane by-products and evaluated their physical, hydraulic, and agronomic properties as an alternative substrate for cucumber seedlings. Bagasse and filter cake were combined with perlite, compost, and cocopeat in various formulations, alongside two controls (agricultural soil and imported cocopeat). Physical traits (bulk density, total porosity, shrinkage ratio) and hydraulic traits (water holding capacity, aeration porosity, water retention curves) were assessed. Formulations B80-P20, B80-F20, and B70-F20-P10 significantly reduced bulk density (0.11 g/cm³) and increased porosity (up to 90%) compared to soil (1.45 g/cm³ and 45%), showing superior physical quality. Although B100 had high water holding capacity (0.51 cm³/cm³), rapid moisture loss indicated poor hydraulic behavior. Bagasse–perlite blends achieved the best balance between water retention and aeration. ANOVA (P < 0.01) showed significant effects on plant height, stem diameter, and leaf number. B70-F20-P10 had the highest plant height (214.4 mm), stem diameter (3.4 mm), leaf number (6.73), and fresh weight (1.42 g), with production costs 91.99% lower than imported cocopeat. B80-F20 also performed well in plant height (194.8 mm), stem diameter (2.83 mm), and fresh weight (1.33 g). Conversely, B80-P20, despite favorable physical properties, was unsuitable agronomically. While cocopeat control performed competitively in dry weight (0.34 g) and root length (57.93 mm), B70-F20-P10 outperformed it in most growth parameters. Overall, B70-F20-P10 emerged as the most sustainable, cost-effective, and locally adapted alternative to imported media, excelling in physical, hydraulic, and agronomic traits.

With rising health concerns related to excessive sugar intake, there is an increasing desire for alternative sweeteners that offer both safety and nutritional benefits. Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni), a perennial plant belonging to the family of Asteraceae, has garnered considerable interest as a natural sugar alternative owing to its elevated levels of steviol glycosides (SGs), particularly stevioside and rebaudioside A. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of S. rebaudiana, covering its cultivation practices and global distribution. A detailed overview of the biosynthetic pathway and cellular transportation of SGs is presented to enhance understanding of their molecular production and accumulation. Beyond its zero-calorie nature and nutritional profile, stevia exhibits several health advantages, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, potential roles in diabetes management, antimicrobial activity, and anticancer effects. Furthermore, safety and regulatory perspectives are critically discussed to provide a balanced view of stevia consumption and its integration into food products. The review emphasizes the requirement for further research to optimize stevia applications in the food industry and maximize its therapeutic potential. By addressing existing knowledge gaps, future studies can contribute to the sustainable use of stevia as a functional food ingredient, ensuring both health benefits and commercial viability.

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), a high-biomass C₄ crop, possesses substantial potential for biofuel production. While first-generation biofuels are primarily derived from sucrose, the utilization of complex polysaccharides, such as cellulose and hemicellulose, remains limited due to lignin-induced recalcitrance. Lignin, a complex polymer composed of syringyl, guaiacyl, and hydroxyphenyl units, reinforces the plant cell wall and impedes enzymatic saccharification. Genetic engineering, particularly the CRISPR/Cas9 system, offers a powerful approach to modify lignin biosynthesis pathways. In this study, we aimed to knock out the cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) gene, a key enzyme involved in monolignol biosynthesis, in the sugarcane variety Co 86,032. A guide RNA (gRNA) targeting the second class of the CAD gene was designed, cloned into the CRISPR/Cas9 vector pRGEB31, and introduced into Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 for sugarcane transformation. During shoot regeneration, approximately 90% of the transformed plants developed white, albino shoots. Sequence analysis revealed unintended partial homology between the designed CAD gRNA, upstream of the PAM sequence and the coding sequence of the phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene (at 609–616 bp), a key gene involved in carotenoid biosynthesis. Real-time PCR analysis of albino plants showed markedly reduced PDS expression, further confirmed by PCR amplification. Chlorophyll a & b, total carotenoid estimation also revealed significantly lower levels in albino plants, validating the off-target disruption of the PDS gene by the CAD-specific gRNA. These findings highlight the importance of precise gRNA design to minimize off-target effects and emphasize the need to redesign a highly specific gRNA for targeted editing of the CAD gene in sugarcane.

Establishing a manufacturing period for concentrated beet juice is a promising strategy to increase the productivity of white sugar and address climatic variability. Key parameters including temperature and stabilization treatments are crucial to optimizing the storage process at a reasonable cost. To this end, a pilot-scale plant was built with 12 tanks, three levels of storage temperatures (15, 25, and 35 °C), and three disinfection treatments. A rheological evaluation, during six months of storage, was investigated in relation to physiochemical and microbiological changes. The rheological behavior fits well with the power law model at different test temperatures of 25, 55 and 85 °C. The data demonstrated that thick juice is non-Newtonian fluid, displaying dilatant trend (1.0 < flow index (n) < 1.15) at low temperature of 25 (^circ)C and pseudoplastic (0.7 < n < 0.99) at higher temperatures of 55 and 85 (^circ)C. The consistency coefficient showed a temperature-dependent decline, with activation energy (E_a) values ranging from 17.18 to 29.57 kJ/mol. At a constant shear rate of 50 s⁻¹, apparent viscosity remained stable before and after storage across most treatments, except for a significant decrease observed in the untreated sample at 35 °C due to microbial deterioration. The findings highlight the off-season potential for sugar production and demonstrate that under optimal storage conditions, thick juice can be preserved in hot climates for a prolonged duration without degradation or significant impact on rheological behavior.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been recognized as promising technologies in recent times for both toxic metal bioremediation and clean power generation. The function of organic substrate to provide a source of metabolism for microbial growth apart from bioremediation of the metal ions in MFC is of great interest. This work investigates the application of sugarcane extract as the organic substrate in MFCs, offering deeper insight into the interaction of sugarcane extract microbial metabolism on power generation and toxic metal bioremediation. The operating cycle of the MFC was 33 days, while the maximum voltage output recorded on day 16 was 161 mV, coupled with toxic metal bioremediation efficiencies of 89.12%, 84.43%, and 89.58% for Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺, respectively. The organic substrate, which is a sugarcane extract, was added fresh every day during the process. The anode performance with the organic substrate was further evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The electrodes were characterized using SEM/EDX to investigate their toxicity and biofilm development. This study summarizes the experimental results and proposes a mechanism for metal ion degradation and electron transfer mechanisms in the MFC system. The findings indicate that sugarcane extract could be an efficient organic substrate for MFC applications. In addition, some ongoing challenges in MFC advancement and their corresponding recommendations were highlighted.

Sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SCSMV) and sugarcane yellow leaf virus (ScYLV) are the two major viruses associated with sugarcane causing severe yield loss. Limiting the spread of these viral pathogens is necessary to improve the quality of planting material. In this study, duplex reverse transcription-recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) assay was developed, which could detect SCSMV and ScYLV simultaneously in 30 min at 40 ºC with limited laboratory resources. The technique employed a simple crude leaf extract-based template preparation in 50 mM NaOH and 2.5 mM EDTA (pH 8.0) in (1:1) ratio that eliminated the need of complex nucleic acid extraction procedures. No cross reactivity was observed in specificity test with another virus infecting sugarcane, sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), demonstrating that the assay is highly specific for the simultaneous detection of SCSMV and ScYLV. Moreover, the assay could detect both the viruses simultaneously up to the dilution level of 10^–5 in sensitivity evaluation test. All symptomatic samples were detected positive for SCSMV and ScYLV in the validation experiments using duplex RT-RPA and conventional duplex RT-PCR assays. The developed duplex RT-RPA assay would be highly valuable for mass indexing of viruses associated with sugarcane in certification programs and effective disease management to prevent the further spread of these viruses across the country.

A field experiment conducted during the 2020–2022 cropping seasons evaluated the impact of various fungicides, micronutrients, and botanicals on sugarcane germination, disease incidence, yield, plant growth, juice quality, and soil health. Among the eight treatments tested, the integrated application of seed treatment, drenching, and spraying with Carbendazim, combined with foliar application of boron and zinc (T1), recorded the best performance. This treatment significantly enhanced germination by 60.70%, reduced disease incidence by 80.56%, and increased yield by 67.49% compared to the untreated control. It also showed superior results in key growth parameters such as cane length, girth, weight, and the number of millable canes, alongside the highest juice quality with 20.22% Brix, 17.95% sucrose, and 88.80% purity. While T1 offered the maximum agronomic benefits, botanical treatments—particularly the combination of Neem and Tulsi (T7)—also demonstrated substantial improvements over control, including a 46.42% increase in yield and 54.23% reduction in disease incidence. Additionally, T6 (Tulsi) and T7 improved soil fertility by enhancing nutrient availability and maintaining favorable pH and electrical conductivity. These findings suggest that while chemical treatments are most effective for maximizing yield and crop health, botanical and bio-based treatments are promising eco-friendly alternatives with significant agronomic and soil health benefits.

High sucrose content is a crucial breeding objective in sugarcane, with significant differences in sucrose accumulation patterns between early and late-maturing varieties during different growth stages. This study aimed to determine how differences in cane maturation affect proteins involved in sucrose metabolism. The isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technique was employed to analyze intraspecific and interspecific proteomic differences between the early-maturing sugarcane variety ‘GL05-136’ and the late-maturing variety ‘GR2’ during the maturation period (January and February). A total of 3337 proteins were identified. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Clusters of Orthologous Genes analysis found that the differential proteins were mainly associated with metabolic processes, single biological processes, and cellular processes. A total of 47 differential proteins were identified in the four comparison groups (intra-variety temporal comparisons and inter-variety synchronous comparisons), 17 of which were enriched in a KEGG pathway, including glucose metabolism, stress resistance, and photosynthesis pathways. The differential proteins fructose-bisphosphate aldolase and disulfide isomerase were obtained after further screening of the contrast groups between varieties. These two proteins may be associated with differential cane maturation, sucrose synthesis and accumulation in sugarcane. These results provide more insights on sucrose accumulation and stalk maturation in sugarcane varieties.