Evaluation of plant profile of Japanese Super Sorghum variety and its physicochemical and microbiological properties of fresh juice and concentrated syrup

Abstract

Sweet sorghum with various varieties in Indonesia is a high potential source of sugar. The innovation of sweet sorghum variety to improve the quality attributes needs to evaluate for plant’s profiles for optimal utilization prospects. The objective of this study was to examine the profiles of Japanese Super Sorghum cultivated in Indonesia that comparisons of several other varieties of sweet sorghum and characterize the physicochemical and microbiological properties of fresh juice and concentrated syrup. Japanese Super Sorghum had the highest plant size, the highest number of leaves, and the highest yield of fresh juice compared to other varieties. Japanese Super Sorghum’s fresh juice had a pH of 5.28, Total Dissolve Solid (TDS) 12.5 ± 0.1 °Brix, dextran content of 421.25 ± 3.93 ppm, color ICUMSA 862.15 ± 10.79 IU, viscosity 2.11 ± 0.02 cP, and yield of fresh juice 56.76% from stems or 42.42% from the whole plant. The concentrated syrup had a higher pH, ICUMSA color, dextran content, and viscosity than fresh juice, but it had a lower microbial growth rate. Microbial growth in concentrated syrup decreased due to defecation and evaporation. Bacterial growth in fresh juice was 1.8x103 CFU/ml and only 0.5x103 CFU/ml in concentrated syrup. The total microbial growth in fresh juice was 22.0x103 CFU/ml and only 5.5x103 CFU/ml in thick syrup. In conclusion, concentrated syrup from Japanese Super Sorghum juice has good properties and high storability.