Sugarcane Juice Samples Research Articles

Determining the impact of pre-pressing pretreatments applied to sugarcane on the aroma compounds and quality characteristics of sugarcane juice.

The study examined the effects of three pretreatments, blanching (5, 10, and 30min), ultrasound (15, 20, and 30min), and steam blanching (10, 20, and 30min) on sugarcane, assessing their impact on sugarcane juice quality parameters and aroma compounds. The control had the highest soluble solid content, while the ultrasound-15min (US-15min)-treated sample had the lowest, affecting pH, total acidity, and color values significantly. Color analysis showed lower L* values and less greenish tones in treated samples. The implemented pretreatments effectively reduce the browning index, with the US-20min treatment showing the most significant reduction compared to the control sample. All pretreatments deactivated polyphenol oxidase. Carbon isotope analysis yielded significant results. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering linked 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) with 2,2'-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) with total phenolic content. The study also highlights significant variations in aroma compound profiles among pretreated sugarcane juice samples, with blanching for 10 min showing notable increases in specific compounds like 2-heptanone and nonanol. Hierarchical clustering showed similarities between blanching-30min and US-30min, contrasting with the control. Blanching-10min had a positive impact on sugarcane juice quality. In conclusion, the study emphasized how pretreatments affect physicochemical properties and aroma compounds in sugarcane juice. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The research findings suggest that blanching and ultrasound pretreatments can be used by the food industry to improve sugarcane juice quality by reducing browning, enhancing color, and altering aroma profiles. These pretreatments could extend the shelf life and appeal of sugarcane juice, making it more attractive to consumers while maintaining its nutritional properties.

Evaluation of bacteriological quality and safety of sugarcane juice locally processed and vended in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania

The prevalence of foodborne illness linked to the intake of freshly squeezed juices sold by street vendors is on the rise, despite the widespread use of these beverages by millions of people in developing nations. Hence, a study was undertaken to evaluate the microbiological standard and safety of locally processed and street-vended sugarcane juices in Dar es Salaam to ascertain their present condition. A total of 60 samples of sugarcane juice were gathered and examined. Street vendors involved in the sugarcane juice business were interviewed followed by physical-chemical and microbiological laboratory analysis. The pH of unpasteurized sugarcane juice was 4.8 and 4.9 for iced and raw, respectively while the pH for pasteurized and pasteurized juice in which citric acid was added were receptively, 4.3 and 3.1. The average level of titratable acidity was 0.083%. The Soluble solids (°Brix) of unpasteurized raw, iced and pasteurized sugarcane juice ranged from 12.2- 22.1, 2.4-13.8 and 14.1-15.8. The total plate counts (TPC) of unpasteurized sugarcane juice showed a mean of 5.592 and 5.64 log cfu/mL for raw and iced sugarcane juice, respectively. About 90% of samples were above TBS and Codex recommended maximum limits of 3.7 to 4 log cfu/mL or 5×10³- 10⁴ cfu/mL. Unpasteurized raw and iced sugarcane juice were contaminated with 1.79 and 2.10 log cfu/mL of E. coli while no typical Salmonella spp. was detected in all 60 samples. The study concluded that the microbiological quality and overall handling practices associated with unpasteurized sugarcane juice sold in Dar es Salaam City were substandard.

MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY AND SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF FRESHLY PREPARED FRUIT JUICES SOLD IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF LAHORE, PAKISTAN

Fruit juices are among the best food products with respect to the nutritional and medicinal applications. However, disaster can come along the way, as bacteria can cause spoiling of fruit juices through contaminated raw materials, extraction equipment and malpractice of handlers and results into the deleterious health effects. Numerous bacterial species including Streptococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholera, etc can be present in high concentrations in fruit juices. In the present study, a total of 164 bacterial strains were isolated from nine samples of fresh fruit juices (Carrot, Orange and sugarcane) from different areas in Lahore. Three media i.e., Nutrient agar, MacConkey agar and Eosin Methylene Blue agar (EMB) were used for enumeration and isolation of various bacterial genera. Among the total 164 isolated bacterial strains, 37 were recovered from sugarcane juice samples, 91 from carrot juice samples and 36 from orange juice samples. The most frequent strains were E. coli and Enterobaacter spp. which were most likely due to the contamination from water. A panel of 10 antibiotics including Erythromycin, Ceftizoxime, Ciprofloxacin, Tobramycin, Vancomycin, Ampicillin, Streptomycin, Polymyxin B, Levofloxacin, and Cephalexin was used to determine the antibiotics sensitivity (AST) status of the isolated strains. It was observed that Levofloxacin showed highest zones of inhibition against all the tested strains and overall, strains didn’t have significant resistance against the tested antibiotics. The practice of proper hand and fruit washing can minimize the potential threat of bacterial contamination in food products.

Microbial Quality Assessment of Fresh Sugarcane Juice in Retail Shops Inside Kathmandu Valley

This study aims to assess the microbial quality of fresh sugarcane juice sold in retail shops inside Kathmandu Valley, as there is limited information available on the safety of popular fresh juices like sugarcane juice, which can cause food-borne illnesses when improperly prepared, despite the known health benefits of consuming fresh fruits juices. Sixty fresh sugar cane juice samples were collected from selected thirteen areas inside Kathmandu Valley. Out of 60 samples, 42 samples were contaminated with bacteria. The quality of each sample was assessed by total plate count, total coliform count, yeast and mold count, and isolation of pathogenic bacteria. The isolated bacteria were identified based on biochemical characteristics. The pH of collected samples ranged from 4.33 to 6.34, acidity from 0.01% to 0.09%, and total soluble solids from 13 to 21⁰Brix. The mean bacterial count was 5.26 log10 CFU/ml, the coliform count was 4.67 log10 CFU/ml, and the yeast mold count was 4.94 log10 CFU/ml. E. coli was present in 38.1%, Citrobacter freundii in 47.6%, and Salmonella species in 14.3% of the total sample. Vibrio cholerae was not detected. Gentamicin, Ciprofloxacin, and Ofloxacin were effective, while Ampicillin was less effective. The study found that sugarcane juice samples from shops in Kathmandu Valley have high levels of contamination, including a high microbial load and slightly acidic pH with high total soluble solid values. The bacterial isolates exhibited varied degrees of antimicrobial susceptibilities and resistances, and the contamination was attributed to poor hygienic conditions during juice processing and handling, possibly due to the use of poor-quality water and a lack of training on food hygiene and safety. These findings suggest potential health hazards for consumers of fresh sugarcane juice.

Confinement-enhanced microalgal individuals biosensing for digital atrazine assay

Microalgal sensors are widely recognized for their high sensitivity, accessibility, and low cost. However, the current dilemma of motion-induced spatial phase changes and concentration-related multiple scattering interferes with induced test instability and limited sensitivity, which has hindered their practical applications. Here, a differentiated strategy, named confinement-enhanced microalgal biosensing (C-EMB), is developed and proposed to pave the way. The in-situ printed microgel trap is designed to confine Chlamydomonas reinhardtii individuals, stabilizing their spatial phase. The microgel trap arrays are introduced to eliminate the multiple scattering of microalgae, breaking the existing effective concentration in traditional microalgal sensing and enabling sensitive assays. The integration with lab-on-a-chip technology and a developed digital imaging algorithm empower portable and automated detection. With this system, a microalgae analyzer is developed for atrazine detection, featuring a linear range of 0.04–100 μg/L. We assess the system's performance through practical atrazine assays on commercial food, using a double-blind test against a standard instrument. Our results demonstrate the good accuracy and test stability of this system with the mean bias atrazine detection in corn and sugarcane juice samples (SD) were 1.661 μg/L (3.122 μg/L) and 3.144 μg/L (4.125 μg/L), respectively. This method provides a new paradigm of microalgal sensors and should advance the further applications of microalgal sensors in commercial and practical settings.

Epidemiological investigation of norovirus infections in Punjab, Pakistan, through the One Health approach.

Norovirus, mainly associated with acute gastroenteritis, is very contagious and can affect a vast range of species ranging from cattle, pigs, dogs, mice, cats, sheep, and lions to humans. It is a foodborne pathogen that mainly transmits through the fecal-oral route. This is the first-ever study conducted in Lahore and Sheikhupura districts of Punjab, Pakistan, to investigate noroviruses through the One Health approach. From January 2020 to September 2021, 200 fecal samples were collected from clinical cases of hospitalized patients and 200 fecal samples from sick animals at veterinary hospitals and local farms. In addition, 500 food and beverage samples were collected from street vendors and retail stores. A predesigned questionnaire was used to assess the risk factors and clinical characteristics of sick people and animals. Overall, 14% of the human clinical samples were positive by RT-PCR for genogroup GII. All bovine samples were negative. Food and beverage samples were tested in pools, resulting in sugarcane juice samples positive for genogroup GII. Previous contact with acute gastroenteritis patients, sex, and presence of vomiting were found to be significant risk factors (p ≤ 0.05). The substantial number of diarrhea cases associated with noroviruses calls for additional studies to investigate the epidemiology and transmission and to improve surveillance.

SUGARCANE JUICE AS A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT SALMONELLA SPP.

Many segments of the population now get affordable foods because of growing trend of street vending in developing nations. There have been reports from all over the world that fruit juices sold on streets are tainted with numerous bacteria causing a number of human illnesses. Major outbreaks brought on by microbial pathogens of fruit juices have resulted in severe illness and mortality in underdeveloped nations. This study determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistant Salmonella spp. in sugarcane juice samples available from street vendors in Shahadara Lahore. Ten sugarcane juice samples were bought from different street vendors. Microbiological assess-ment tests were performed on each sample. Salmonella Shigella (SS) and MacConkey agar ere used as the media from the growth of bacteria. To check the resistance of Salmonella of four antibiotics were used. When compared to the advised standard safety practices, the findings showed that the majority of the suppliers did not adhere to cleanliness and safety practices. On SS and MacConkey agar highest contamination was found to be 2.45×10^5 and 7.8×10^5 Salmonella cfu per serving of sample, respectively. Highest antibiotic resistance was found against cefotaxime as 7.5×10^4 cfu per serving of sample in SJS10. Microbiological quality of sugarcane juices fell beyond permissible ranges, possibly as a result of the poor water quality used to make the juices as well as the sellers' poor hygiene and safety procedures. The isolated microorganisms were ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime resistant, which could have serious effects on public health. The research on antibiotic resistant bacteria in sugarcane juices had not been done before from this region has added fresh knowledge to the field's domain of research

Evaluation of Street Food Safety and Hygiene Practices of Food Vendors in Can Tho City of Vietnam

The objective of this study was to investigate the food safety status of street foods in the city of Can Tho, Vietnam. A total of 410 consumers was interviewed to get an insight into the popular street foods in the studied area. Vietnamese sandwich (34.63%) and sugarcane juice (24.51%) were consumed popularly according to the survey. A total of 263 street food samples (i.e.Vietnamese sandwich, n = 131 and sugarcane juice, n = 132) were collected from different locations such as schools, hospitals, markets, and other locations in four districts (i.e. Ninh Kieu, Cai Rang, Phong Dien and O Mon) of Can Tho city for microbiological analysis. Total aerobic mesophilic counts (TMC), yeast and mold, coliform, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus were assessed. Microbial contamination of Vietnamese sandwich was 5.7-9.2 log CFU/g (TMC), 2.0-7.4 log CFU/g (yeast and mold), 2.5-7.9 log CFU/g (coliform), 1.0-5.9 log CFU/g (E. coli), and 1.7-6.6 log CFU/g (Staphylococcus aureus). There was a significant difference in Vietnamese sandwich sampling among districts (p<0.05). In contrast, the contamination of sugarcane juice samples with regards to total aerobic mesophilic counts, yeast and mold, coliform, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus were 7.53±0.74, 5.56±0.71, 6.02±1.21, 2.26±1.31, 1.47±0.77 log CFU/mL, respectively. No statistically significant difference (p>0.05) was observed in sugarcane juice samples among districts and locations. The observation of the handling practices of street food vendors showed inadequate hygiene practices, assessment of the street foods safety showed that they do not satisfy the Vietnam hygiene standard of specific foods. These findings give an insight into the safety status of sampled street foods and may provide needed information for Vietnam’s authorities to further improve the safety of street food and create food safety awareness among consumers and handlers, thereby preventing risk to public health.

Physicochemical and sensory characteristic of treated sugarcane juice

Sugarcane juice contains high sugar content which can deteriorate rapidly after the juice extraction process. In large juice industry, the deterioration of sugarcane juice can be reduced by pasteurisation and sterilisation treatment process. However, preservation techniques impart undesirable effect on sugarcane juice in terms of taste, colour, appearance and acceptability of the consumer. Therefore, in this study, the effect of pasteurisation process and addition of Spirulina platensis (S. platensis) water extract (0.2% vol/vol) were investigated for its physicochemical (pH, total soluble solid, colour and turbidity), microbiological evaluation (total plate count) and sensory characteristic of sugarcane juice. The addition of S. platensis water extract in sugarcane juice lower the pH value of tested sample contributing to the increase in the stability of sugarcane juice. The other physicochemical tests (total soluble solid, colour and turbidity) have definite correlation with the changes of pH value but not-significant (p > 0.05) in term of addition of S. platensis water extract into sugarcane juice samples. The microbiological evaluation revealed that high number of colony presence in sugarcane juice after storage for about two weeks and their number were reduced until end of testing period which may result from the depletion of nutrient and inhibition of by-product of reactions that happen in sugarcane juice sample. In terms of sensory testing, the addition of S. platensis water extract in sugarcane juice scored best as compared to control sample even though it does not give significant value (p > 0.05) compared to control sample. In conclusion, the addition of S. platensis water extract for treated sugarcane juice is significant as it improves consumer acceptability. The water extract could also acts as colouring agent in sugarcane juice without affecting the physicochemical and sensory properties of sugarcane juice.

The composition of sacarine substrates for ethanol production and the fermentative capacity Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pedra-2

The production of ethanol in Brazil is based on sugarcane juice, however other biomasses can be used for this process, such as sweet sorghum. However, some nutrients can interfere with fermentation, such as the presence of metals, carbon and nitrogen sources, which can affect the fermentation capacity of yeasts. Thus, this study aims to analyze the presence of fundamental nutrients present in saccharine substrates, as well as their assimilation and conversion of ethanol by the yeast Pedra-2. Samples of sugarcane and sorghum juice were obtained, in which analysis of the presence of metals was carried out using acid digestion and the levels determined by atomic flame absorption spectroscopy. The amino acid analysis was performed on the saccharine substrates at a concentration of 22 ºBrix, before and after fermentation, and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and the concentration of ethanol by gas chromatography. The sorghum broth showed higher amounts of available amino acid metals. The yeast Pedra-2 showed better fermentative performance in the sorghum broth. We can conclude that the sorghum broth represents an important substrate to be used to increase the sustainability and production of ethanol in Brazil.

Preliminary study: the use of sugarcane juice to replace white sugar in an effort to overcome diabetes mellitus

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus, continues to increase. One of the characteristic type 2 diabetes mellitus is insulin resistance, which caused by lack of trivalent chromium. This is occurred because the habits of the people, who consume white sugar more than brown sugar or sugarcane juice. Refining process will eliminate the mineral content in white sugar. Mineral content in white sugar is assumed to be lower than brown sugar or sugarcane juice. Consuming sugarcane juice as a substitute for white sugar is also thought to be able to increase the level of chromium in the body’s cells. It will be publicly accepted in organoleptic. The purpose of this study are to compare the levels of chromium in sugar and sugarcane juice, to know level of chromium in the blood and urine of healthy and diabetes mellitus patients before and after consuming sugarcane juice and to know the level of consumers’ preference to the flavour of white sugar compared to sugarcane juice. Samples of sugarcane juice and white sugar products were obtained from a sugar factory in Java. Determination of chromium content was carried out by dry destruction using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Organoleptic test was performed using a preference test of 30 untrained respondents. The results had shown that the chromium levels in sugarcane juice were 35 times higher than in white sugar has; sugarcane juice consumption for one month apparently can increase the levels of chromium (both in the blood and in the urine of people) but increased level in diabetes mellitus patients higher than healthy people; and in the terms of the taste, the average respondents’ preferences for sugarcane juice and white sugar is the same. This preliminary study showed that sugarcane juice is potential to overcome diabetes mellitus type 2.

Effects of Different Preservation Treatments on Nutritional Profile on Juices from Different Sugar Cane Varieties

The commercialisation of sugarcane juice is limited due to its rapid quality degradation. This study was conducted to determine the effect of High Pressure Processing (HPP) and High Pressure Homogenisation (HPH) on physicochemical, antioxidant properties and microbiological quality of red sugarcane juice. The red sugarcane juice samples, Kapur, Madu, Serai and Ragnar were subjected to HPP and HPH at 300 MPa for 2 and 5 min before the analysis was performed. Initial brix content, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and nutritional content of sugarcane juice values of showed that Madu juice contained the highest total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant properties (FRAP and DPPH radical scavenging assay) amongst all variants. HPP-treated juice showed no significant difference to the untreated juice in terms of physicochemical properties (total soluble solid, pH and colour), microbial count and polyphenoloxidase activity. In contrast, HPH showed significant decrease in microbial load and polyphenoloxidase activity. The sugar cane juice subjected to HPP and HPH for 5 min showed significant increase and significant decrease, respectively, in term of TPC as compared to untreated sample. In conclusion, HPP appears to be an effective approach to retain TSS, pH and colour of the red sugarcane juice, while increasing the antioxidant quantity which is desirable in the commercialisation of the juice. However, HPH is a better method to reduce PPO activity and microbial load, thus beneficial in reducing the browning process and potentially extending the shelf life.

Voltammetric Detection of 3-Nitropropionic Acid in Sugarcane Juices Using a Poly(L-citrulline)/Lanthanide-Containing Cyano-Bridged Heterometallic Coordination Polymer Modified Electrode

In this study, a novel poly(L-citrulline)/lanthanide-containing cyano-bridged heterometallic coordination polymer modified glassy carbon electrode, poly(L-Cit)/(Ho(III)-Fe(III)-WO42− CyHMCP/GCE, was constructed as a sensing platform for the electrochemical detection of 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) using the two-step electrosynthesis method. The surface morphology of materials coated on the chemically modified electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Based on the excellent synergistic electrocatalytic performance for electrochemical reduction of 3-NPA, the voltammetric detection of 3-NPA in real sugarcane juice samples was achieved with a facile sample pretreatment process and less matrix interference. Furthermore, by means of water-phase infrared spectra technique, the electrocatalytic reduction pathway of 3-NPA was preliminarily studied. Under the optimized detection conditions, a good linear relationship was obtained between the reduction peak current of 3-NPA and testing concentration in the range of 40.0–4.00 × 103 μM, with a regression equation of Ip (μA) = −3.126 + 0.08804C3-NPA (μM), R2 = 0.9997. The lower detection limit (LOD) of 3-NPA was estimated to be 16.0 μM (S/N = 3). Therefore, the method had been employed to analyze raw sugarcane samples, with the average recovery of 96.8%–104%, and the actual concentration level of free 3-NPA in the raw sugarcane juices was revealed.

Bioprospección de bacterias ácido lácticas productoras de biofloculante aisladas de jugo de caña residual

The objective was to isolate bioflocculant-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from residual sugarcane juice. For this reason, sugarcane juice samples were obtained from 15 randomly sampled residual sugarcane stalk samples. The isolation of LAB was then carried out by means of conventional microbiology techniques, using Agar Mayeux, Sandine and Elliker (MSE) culture medium at pH 7.2 and an incubation time of 30°C for 48 hours. Subsequently, pure cultures were made from the characteristic colonies of Leuconostoc mesenteroides (rubbery, viscous, translucent and creamy colonies) for their biochemical identification according to Bergey’s Manual of Bacteriological Determination. The identification and selection of L. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides was carried out according to the Kappa coefficient statistical method, with the purpose of using it in the production of dextran (bioflocculant) in an aerated-agitated bioreactor (Aplikon brand). The purity of the dextran was determined using the FT-IR technique, which was compared with the spectrum of pure dextran produced by the strain NRRL P-640. Four strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides, LM (01-04) were isolated, of which the strain LM03 was identified as L. meenteroides subsp. mesenteroides. The dextran values produced by LM03 were 26.87 g/L at 80 hours (maximum concentration) and 2.61 g/L at 4 hours (minimum concentration). The dextran produced by LM03 is pure according to FT-IR analysis. In conclusion, it was possible to isolate BAL L. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides (strain LM03), which had the capacity to produce dextran, which can be used as a bioflocculant with different biotechnological and industrial uses.

The effects of conventional thermal, microwave heating, and thermosonication treatments on the quality of sugarcane juice

The present work describes the effects of three different heat treatments to extend the shelf life and quality of sugarcane juice. Freshly extracted sugarcane juice samples were thermally treated by microwave heating; thermosonication, and conventional thermal processing to evaluate their effects on microbial loads, physicochemical properties, color changes, and quality parameters such as total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and reducing sugars. Among all treatments, low power microwave was shown to be the best treatment by completely reducing the microbial loads to nondetection. The treatment was also able to preserve the total phenolic content (3.53), antioxidant activity (21.58), maintain the quality of physicochemical attributes, and minimize the overall color changes (ΔE* 4.76) as compared to other treatments. Overall, the present work provides an overview of alternative sugarcane juice treatments which could also be combined with hurdle technology that can further improve the quality and global market of the juice. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The present work seeks to improve the acceptance, quality, and shelf life of sugarcane juice by comparing conventional heating, microwave heating, and thermosonication. Currently, there are limited studies that emphasize to improve its quality as sugarcane juice is easily spoiled. The treatments proposed in this study are effective, cheap, more practical, and sustainable to be upscale for the larger production of sugar cane juice. This treatment could also be combined with hurdle technology or packaging technology that can further improve the quality, shelf life, and marketability of the juice.

Risk characterization and quantification of mycotoxins and their producing fungi in sugarcane juice: A neglected problem in a widely-consumed traditional beverage

Sugarcane juice is a traditional drink consumed on a daily basis in Egypt. The current work was conducted to (1) evaluate the multi-mycotoxin contamination in sugarcane juice, (2) identify the profiles of the mycotoxigenic fungi, and (3) assess the risk of mycotoxin exposure among the adult population. Sugarcane juice samples (n = 89) were randomly collected in two seasons from Egypt. Quantification of 13 mycotoxins was done through a validated LC-MS/MS method. The isolated fungal species were identified using the morphological and molecular approaches and a risk assessment was performed using @Risk software.In general, 63% (n = 56) of the samples were contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisin B1 (FB1). Juice collected during winter had a contamination range of 0.1–3 μg L−1 for AFB1 and 2.8–57.9 μg L−1 for FB1, while samples from the summer season had a contamination range of 0.3–1.3 μg L−1 for AFB1 only. A multiple locus characterization showed the presence of Aspergillus, especially A. novoparasiticus, and Penicillium species. A remarkable difference in the levels of juice consumption was observed between the two seasons and between male and female consumer groups. However, the exposure levels using the probabilistic approach were not alarming.

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with dispersive solid‐phase extraction for gas chromatography with mass spectrometry determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous matrices

This study describes a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with dispersive solid-phase extraction method based on phenyl-functionalized magnetic sorbent for the preconcentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental water, sugarcane juice, and tea samples prior to gas chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis. Several important parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated thoroughly, including the mass of sorbent, type and volume of extraction solvent, extraction time, type of desorption solvent, desorption time, type and amount of salt-induced demulsifier, and sample volume. Under the optimized extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometric conditions, the method revealed good linearity (10-100000ng/L) with coefficient of determination (R2 ) of ≥0.9951, low limits of detection (3-16ng/L), high enrichment factors (61-239), and satisfactory analyte recoveries (86.3-109.1%) with the relative standard deviations<10% (n=5). The entire sample preparation procedure was simple, rapid and can be accomplished within 10min. This method was applied (after pretreatment) to 30 selected samples, and the presence of studied analytes was quantified in 17 samples.

High Density Solvent Based Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Technique for Simultaneous and Selective Extraction of Multiclass Pesticide Residues in Water and Sugarcane Juice Samples

In this study, a miniaturized analytical technique based on high density solvent based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (HD-DLLME) was developed for extraction of trace residues of multiclass pesticides including three striazine herbicides, two organophosphate insecticides and two organochlorine fungicides from environmental water and sugarcane juice samples. The analytical method was validated and found to offer good linearity: R2 ≥ 0.991; repeatability varied from 0.73% - 5.28%; reproducibility varied from 1.14% - 8.74% and limit of detection ranged from 0.005 to 0.02 μg/L. Moreover, accuracy of the optimized method was evaluated and the recovery was varied from 80.39% - 114.05%. Analytical applications of this method to environmental waters and sugarcane juice samples indicate the presence of trace residues of ametryn in the lake water and sugarcane juice samples. Atrazine and ametryn were also detected in irrigation water.

Identification of New Leuconostoc Species Responsible for Post-harvest Sucrose Losses in Sugarcane

Sugarcane (Saccharum sps. hybrids) is one of the most important commercial crops which account for ~ 80% sugar production in the world. Cut-to-crush sucrose loss is mainly incurred due to bacterial infestation/entry from the cut ends of the harvested cane causing inversion of sucrose. In the present investigation, the associated Leuconostoc species isolated from 34 sugarcane juice samples was molecularly characterized. Along with biochemical indicators, a PCR fragment of 742 bp with species-specific primers indicated that L. lactis is responsible for the inversion of sucrose in sugarcane.

Molecular detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in acai pulp and sugarcane juice

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi affects about 6–8 million people worldwide. Although transmission by triatomine insects has been controlled, other means of transmission maintain the infection. These forms of transmission are responsible for introducing Chagas disease in other non-endemic countries of the world. Thus, Chagas disease, nowadays is a worldwide health problem. In Brazil, acai pulp and sugarcane juice have been associated with Chagas disease outbreaks. The difficulties in isolation of the parasite from foods are hampering source tracking which could allow the confirmation of an implicated food commodity in these outbreak investigations. To address this scientific gap, we evaluated the performance of real-time PCR (qPCR) for detecting T. cruzi in acai pulp and sugarcane juice. All experiments were performed with acai pulp and sugarcane juice samples contaminated with different concentrations of T. cruzi. In assays with qPCR, the results showed that the ideal procedure for T. cruzi identification in acai pulp and sugarcane juice consisted of: i. centrifugation; ii. DNA extraction with a commercial kit for stool matrix; and iii. qPCR using a specific molecular marker for T. cruzi. The seeding in LIT medium of experimentally contaminated foods was effective in detecting the parasitic load by qPCR. The efficacy of qPCR was also verified testing food samples crushed with infected Triatomines. In conclusion, this methodology can be used to perform rapid diagnosis in outbreaks, facilitating measures in disease control.