New Value-Added Sugar and Brown Sugar Products from Sugarcane: A Commercial Approach

Abstract

The conventional sugar market is relatively homogeneous, consisting of edible products such as refined white sugar and brown sugar. A high level of health consciousness has been developed in recent years among human beings for sugar intake. Therefore, Sugarcane Research Institute of Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YSRI), China, has started initiative to develop sucrose co-crystallization technology as a means to derive functional and healthier value-added sugar and brown sugar products with various edible, tastier, and medicinal plant homologs. In the process of sucrose co-crystallization, bioactive components of edible and medicinal plant homologs were mixed and copolymerized with sucrose and brown sugar to form a stable and co-crystallization edible product. Co-crystallized products had high dispersion and uniformity and may be improved in crystal shape, fluidity, moisture absorption, and stability of the altered sugar compounds. Co-crystallized white sugar value-added products were developed with Phyllanthus emblica, Polygonatum kingianum, Dendrobium nobile, Pueraria montana, Lepidium meyenii, and Panax notoginseng and brown sugar value-added products derived from Crataegus pinnatifida, Citrus × limon, seed of Vitis vinifera, Zingiber officinale, Wolfiporia cocos, Hippophae rhamnoides, and Angelica sinensis. These sugar value-added products were rich in plant-derived bioactive constituents with potential health benefits and have a great potential for commercialization of the consumer market all over the world.