Nutraceutical prospects of phenolic compounds from desugared sugarcane extract: an in vitro study of its bioaccessibility and bioactivity

Abstract

Desugared sugarcane extract is a byproduct of the sugar refining process that is obtained through a series of adsorption-desorption processes in ionic exchange resins to produce highly concentrated bioactive compounds. The nutraceutical potential of this extract was evaluated in terms of in vitro bioaccessibility and bioactivities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic properties. Phytochemical and phenolic acid profiling revealed that the extract is rich in phenolic acids, the majority of which are vanillic, sinapic, and p-coumaric acids. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion, including dialysability, showed phenolic acid degradation, with only 38.41% remaining bioaccessible after digestion. The bioactivity potentials of the extract demonstrated strong antioxidant capacities but were not able to elicit an antibacterial effect against common foodborne pathogens even at 10 mg/mL. Interestingly, the extract was more active than acarbose in inhibiting α-glucosidase activity, which can be further studied for potential antidiabetic therapeutics. Considering the prospects explored, these results put forward sugarcane as a source of phenolic extracts for potential development and applications in the nutraceutical industry.