Assessment of the Bioactive Capacity of Mixed Juice Scum Extracts from Sugarcane Mills

Abstract

AbstractThe scum is a semisolid by‐product in canesugar mills where flotation technology is used for mixed juice clarification. To evaluate its potential bioactive properties, an aqueous extract, a 70% ethanol extract and a 100% ethanol extract from the scum were obtained and used for antioxidant activity assessment. Chemical assays of 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzthiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) were used to determine the total antioxidant activity, and a chemiluminescence assay was conducted to assess the hydroxyl (•OH) and superoxide anion ( ) radicals’ scavenging activity. Results showed that all extracts had high antioxidant activity, of which the 100% ethanol extract was more powerful in DPPH, ABTS and •OH assays. Potential antioxidants in ethanol extracts could be associated with sugarcane wax, polyphenols and flavonoids, while in the aqueous extract, it could be water‐soluble vitamins and proteins which resulted in the highest ( ) scavenging activity. This study suggested that the scum has potential bioactive application.Practical ApplicationsComprehensive utilization of sugarcane mixed juice scum plays an important role in extending the application of flotation clarification technology in canesugar industry. General composition analysis of the scum in the study suggested the possibility of using scum as a raw resource of animal feeds, as it contains a high percentage of protein, cellulose and sucrose. High antioxidant activity of scum extracts implicated its potential utilizations in producing antioxidant related products in food industry.