Sugarcane extract & meadowfoam seed miracle masque

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a perennial monocot plant belonging to the grass (Poaceae) family, originated in Southeast Asia. This plant has been widely cultivated around the world mostly because of the high value of its stalks as source of sucrose used to produce sugar and ethanol. Hence, this crop is considered one of the most important plants with high economic value (del Río et al., 2015; Sampietro et al., 2006; Zheng et al., 2017). Both sugar and ethanol industries have a huge impact in the world’s economy, as 70 % of the world’s sugar production derives from sugarcane. Sugarcane is cultivated in one hundred and nine countries and according to the latest statistics, in 2018 around 1907 × 106 Mg/ha of sugarcane were produced worldwide (Dotaniya et al., 2016; Statista, 2020). Brazil is the biggest producer followed by India, China and Thailand (Dotaniya et al., 2016).

As in Fig. 1, the processing of sugarcane starts at the field where it is harvested, and the straw is cut mechanically. Then, at the factory called “usinas”, the canes are washed and sent to an extraction system where the juice is extracted and separated from bagasse. The sugarcane juice is then used to produce sugar. This massive production generates every year an extensive amount of byproducts such as bagasse, straw, molasses, filter cake and ashes (Dotaniya et al., 2016; Santos et al., 2020; Sarker et al., 2017). Bagasse is a fibrous residue of cane stalks, leftover from the crushing and extraction of the juice. Straw is left in the field as result of the sugarcane plant harvesting, and consists of leaves, stalks and plant tips (Santos et al., 2020; Sarker et al., 2017). Filter cake (or press mud) is a residue of sugarcane juice filtration process, in which the juice is clear and rises to the top and the mud goes to the bottom. Molasses are left after the production of sugar and are a dense, viscous liquid rich in sugars and containing a small percentage of water. About 92 % of these byproducts are burn for production of heat and electricity to supply the sugarcane processing factories, resulting in another byproduct – ashes (Jamora et al., 2019).

Amongst these byproducts, bagasse and straw are the main wastes generated by sugarcane processing, estimated that after the industrial process around 14 % of bagasse and 14 % of straw are produced The composition of both residues is similar. Bagasse consists of 39–45 % cellulose, 23–27 % hemicellulose, 19–32 % lignin, 1–3 % ashes and 5–7 % extractives, while straw is composed by 33–45 % cellulose, 18–30 % hemicellulose, 17–41 % lignin, 2–12 % ashes and 5–17 % extractives (Carvalho et al., 2015). A wide range of expression of these compounds has been reported in several studies, which can be attributed to several factors such as plant genetics, growth environment and processing conditions. Other compounds can also be found in these byproducts, such as free sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose), starch, wax, amino acids, organic acids and mostly important phenolic compounds. Most of phenolic compounds are found freely in biomass and contribute to the extractive’s fractions, while others are entrapped in the lignocellulosic matrix (Canilha et al., 2012).

Although burning is an efficient and economical application to avoid wasting these byproducts, in recent years there has been the conscience that these byproducts could be used to produce high value products like biomolecules and bio-based products for several applications (da Silva et al., 2010; del Río et al., 2015; Pandey et al., 2000; Ramires et al., 2010; Sampietro et al., 2006; Zheng et al., 2017). Some of these applications are reviewed in Table 1. Most of these applications are grounded on the use of fiber and sugar fractions present in bagasse and straw, but other fractions and compounds have also demonstrated potential to be used as high value products. Although less reported in literature, sugarcane is an interesting source of phenolic acids, flavonoids, phytosterols, triterpenoids and other phytochemicals (Feng et al., 2014). Since then, sugarcane has attracted increased research attention on its potential therapeutic use (Ji et al., 2020a). This is especially because phenolic compounds are one of the most interesting groups of bioactive compounds found in plants, with potential applications in food, pharmaceuticals and nature-derived cosmetics (Adamska-szewczyk and Zgórka, 2019).

Thus, this review describes the most recent characterization of phenolic compounds in sugarcane and derived byproducts, as well as the potential applications of those extracts as bioactive ingredients with properties for cosmetic industry.

Cited by (7)

• Green, zero-waste pathway to fabricate supported nanocatalysts and anti-kinetoplastid agents from sugarcane bagasse

  2023, Waste Management

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  The conversion processes of sugarcane into direct-consumption sugar and juice are generating a tremendous amount of waste, the so-called sugarcane bagasse (SCB). Biochar preparation is among the practical solutions aiming to manage and valorize SCB into high added-value functional material (FM).

  Herein, we propose a novel zero-waste pathway to fabricate two FMs from one biomass. The SCB was first macerated and ultrasonicated to obtain the natural extract that served as bio-reducing medium. Then, the H2O/EtOH-extracted SCB was in-situ impregnated with a bimetallic solution of copper and silver nitrates. The process produced an intermediate composite (FM0), Ag/Cu-Ag+/Cu2+-loaded SCB which was carbonized to elaborate Ag/Cu-Biochar (FM1), free Ag/Cu nanoparticles (FM2) were obtained by microwaving the residual liquid waste.

  FM1 exhibited high catalytic activity for the total Fenton-like degradation of methylene blue. The experimental data followed the pseudo-first and the pseudo-second order rate laws with apparent degradation rate constants K1 45 10−3 min−1 and K2 0.115 g.mg−1.min−1, respectively. FM0, FM1 and FM2 were tested as new anti-kinetoplastid materials against two flagellated protozoans namely the Leishmania spp and the Trypanosoma cruzi. Notably, Ag/Cu (FM2) showed exceptional leishmanicidal and trypanocidal effects with IC50 values of 2.909 ± 0.051, 3.580 ± 0.016 and 3.020 ± 0.372 ppm for L.donovani, L. amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi, respectively.

  In this way, we combine green chemistry and agrowaste valorization in a full zero-waste process, to address the 3rd (indicator 3.3.5) and 6th (indicator 6.3.1) United Nations sustainable development goals, ″Good Health and Well-Being″ and ″Clean Water and Sanitation″.

• More than sweet: A phytochemical and pharmacological review of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)

  2021, Food Bioscience

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  Saccharum officinarum L., commonly known as sugarcane, is one of the most widely cultivated crops worldwide. In addition to its global value as the main source of sucrose, sugarcane possesses a variety of bioactivities owing to its myriad constituents. Despite the reported health benefits of sugarcane, phytochemical studies in sugarcane are scarce and its bioactive compounds have still not been adequately exploited. This review presents an updated knowledge of the potential bioactivities of sugarcane and its by-products in relation to its phytochemical profiles. We present a thorough understanding of the pharmacological activities of sugarcane and its by-products with a future prospective for maximizing their benefits as valuable medicinal products, in addition to opening new venues in the field of sugarcane industry. Various techniques used for sugarcane juice preservation as major product to maintain its bioactive compounds and stability are presented which in turn could enhance its introduction to a wider market.

• Effect of microfluidizing cycles after citric acid hydrolysis on the production yield and aspect ratio of cellulose nanocrystals

  2022, Cellulose

• Ethanolic Fenugreek Extract: Its Molecular Mechanisms against Skin Aging and the Enhanced Functions by Nanoencapsulation

  2022, Pharmaceuticals

• Sugar-Core Synthesized Multibranched Polylactic Acid and Its Diacrylate Blends as a UV LED-Curable Coating with Enhanced Toughness and Performance

  2022, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering

• Novel use of sugarcane leaf polysaccharide in κ-carrageenan blend hydrogel

  2022, Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery

Recommended articles (6)

• Research article

  Antioxidant activity of sugarcane molasses against 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride-induced peroxyl radicals

  Food Chemistry, Volume 141, Issue 1, 2013, pp. 466-472

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  Sugarcane molasses is a rich source of antioxidant materials with peroxyl radical scavenging effects. To explore the potent antioxidant activity of sugarcane molasses against 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced peroxyl radicals, 7 methanolic fractions of sugarcane molasses (F1–F7) were separated via bioassay-guided fractionation and evaluated by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), cellular antioxidant activity (CAA), and oxidative DNA damage protective activity assays. The ORAC values of sugarcane molasses fractions ranged from 4399 to 6266 μmol TE/g, whilst the EC50 values for CAA ranged from 3.7 to 5.9 μg/ml. Moreover, it was found that sugarcane molasses fractions, particularly F6 and F7, could protect against oxidative DNA damage caused by peroxyl radicals at an effective concentration of 100 μg/ml. Ten phenolic constituents were identified in the fractions, including known antioxidative compounds, viz., schaftoside, isoschaftoside, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde.

• Research article

  Lipophilic phytochemicals from sugarcane bagasse and straw

  Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 77, 2015, pp. 992-1000

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  The composition of lipophilic phytochemicals in sugarcane bagasse and straw, the two major residues of sugarcane processing, was investigated in detail by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The composition of the lipids from sugarcane bagasse and straw was completely different from each other. While the extracts of sugarcane bagasse were dominated by n-aldehydes (ca. 48% of all identified lipids) and n-fatty alcohols (ca. 23%) with lower amounts of n-fatty acids (10%) and steroid ketones (14%), the extracts from sugarcane straw were strongly dominated by n-fatty acids (accounting for ca. 60% of all identified compounds) with significant amounts of steroid compounds, particularly sterols (10%) and steroid ketones (14%). Tocopherols and triterpenols were also found, being particularly abundant among the extractives of sugarcane straw. Sugarcane bagasse and straw can thus be considered as promising feedstocks for obtaining highly valuable phytochemicals of nutraceutical or pharmaceutical interest.

• Research article

  Sugarcane waste as a valuable source of lipophilic molecules

  Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 76, 2015, pp. 95-103

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  Extraction of high-value products from agro-industrial waste is an important component for the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. In this work, natural wax extraction was carried out on different types of sugarcane waste (rind, leaf and bagasse) using supercritical CO2 (scCO2). Substantial quantities of long-chain aldehydes and n-policosanols (nutraceutical compounds) were found in the rind (83% of total composition). Interestingly, the wax obtained from the leaf residues varied from other types of waxes from sugarcane waste, with low aldehyde and n-policosanol contents (normally found in high quantities) and considerable amounts of high-value triterpenoids (169 ±6 mg/g wax), which have well-known medicinal properties. The use of sugarcane leaf residues for the extraction of waxes has not been previously considered, though the amount of these residues increased significantly after the switch to green harvesting. Sugarcane bagasse wax showed the highest ester composition (37 ± 1.5 mg/g of wax), which can be useful in a host of applications, ranging from cosmetics to hard wax polishes, lubricants, coatings and plasticisers.

• Research article

  Olive leaf phenolic extract from two Portuguese cultivars –bioactivities for potential food and cosmetic application

  Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, Volume 9, Issue 5, 2021, Article 106175

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  Olea europaea L. is historically one of the most important trees of the Mediterranean countries. A second-order polynomial models were used to optimize the recovery of polyphenols from olive leaves from two typically produced Portuguese cultivars ‘Negrinha do Freixo’ and ‘Cornicabra’. The model obtained produced a satisfactory fit for both cultivars for total polyphenols, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. At the best conditions (6 h, 50% ethanol and 1:20 w-v), extracts with a higher level of phenolics were obtained for the cultivar ‘Negrinha do Freixo’ (40.14 ± 4.35 mg GAE g-1 dry leaves) followed by ‘Cornicabra’ (27.10 ± 1.29 mg GAE g-1 dry leaves). The predominant phenolic acids were oleuropein derivatives accounting for a total amount of 58.81 and 23.49 mg g-1 dry leaf followed by oleosides with 45.16 and 32.09 mg g-1 dry leaf in ‘Negrinha’ and ‘Cornicabra’ respectively. Extracts had a strong potential as an antiaging ingredient and cosmetic/food preservative exhibiting antioxidant activity, capacity to inhibit elastase (82.5% and 87.5%), collagenase (98.7% and 50%) and tyrosinase (50% and 33%) for ‘Negrinha do Freixo’ and ‘Cornicabra’, respectively at a concentration of 5 mg mL-1. The ‘Negrinha do Freixo’ had the highest potential as an antimicrobial agent at 50 mg mL-1 being the minimum inhibitory concentration for E. coli, S. enterica and S. aureus and exhibited an inhibition of 70% and 67% for P. aeruginosa and B. cereus, respectively.

• Research article

  Antioxidant/antihyperglycemic activity of phenolics from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) bagasse and identification by UHPLC-HR-TOFMS

  Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 101, 2017, pp. 104-114

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  Sugarcane bagasse, one of the most abundant agro-food by-products, is a very promising raw material available at low cost for recovering bioactive substances. In this study, the total phenolic content was measured by Folin-Ciocalteu method and the antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined by DPPH

  
  , ABTS
  
  + and ROO
  
  (ORAC) methods. The results indicated that 30% hydroalcoholic fraction (30%E) had the highest total phenolic content (170.68 ± 3.25 mg GAE/g DW) among the hydroalcoholic extracts and was the most active fraction in antioxidant activity. Besides, intestinal α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was conducted to assess the antihyperglycemic ability of the extracts and 30%E showed a significant effect at 10 mg/mL (82.64% inhibition of sucrase and 74.26% inhibition of maltase, respectively). Glucose uptake assay based on HepG2 cells was used to evaluate the glucose uptake effect of 30%E. Five phenolic compounds (tricin 4-O-guaiacylglyceryl ether-7-O-glucopyranoside, genistin, p-coumaric acid, quercetin and genistein) were identified in 30%E using UHPLC-HR-TOFMS. Taken together, the data indicated that sugarcane bagasse can be used as a potential source of bio-active phenolics and may play a role in functional agents exploitation and agro-industrial revenue increase.

• Research article

  Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) seed oil: Application as cosmetic product ingredients

  Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 156, 2020, Article 112871

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  The effectiveness and efficiency of a cosmetic product depends not only on the active ingredients, but also on the stability of formulation devoted in improving the bio-functionality. Thus, improving the stability of topical applications with vitamin E is important. The study aimed to optimise kenaf seed oil percentage on gel-cream formulations supplemented with palm-based α-tocopherol and determine their physicochemical properties, antioxidant activities, and α-tocopherol content. The samples were produced by high shear homogenisation and subjected to optimisation to obtain the best formulation with good physical stability and antioxidant activities. The antioxidant activities were determined by radical scavenging assays and α-tocopherol content was quantified by ultra-high performance chromatography. Vitamin E gel-cream formulated from 9% kenaf seed oil (S3) was selected based on its stability in viscosity and antioxidant activities. S3, with pH 6.02 showed viscosity value at 6106.3 cP was physically stable. Also, the α-tocopherol obtained for S3 was 9.34 mg/g sample that indicated 3.63 mg TE/g sample and 10.42 mg TE/g sample for diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzot-hiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical scavenging activities, respectively. For 12 weeks storage stability study at 25 ± 2 °C and 40 ± 2 °C, S3 showed good microbial stability but with mild depletion of tocopherol content. Overall, the results herein gathered are very promising towards the development of new cosmetic formulations using kenaf seed oil and palm-based α-tocopherol.

  What is sugar cane extract used for?

  Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) Extract is commonly used as an antiseptic and works as a natural exfoliant that helps the skin remain silky smooth and brighten its appearance.

  Is sugar cane extract the same as glycolic acid?

  Glycolic acid is derived from sugar cane and is essentially a fruit acid that works as an exfoliant.

  Why is sugarcane good for skin?

  Sugarcane juice is the best source of reducing all skin issues. It is high in acids like glycolic, alpha-hydroxy (AHA) which increases the production of cells. They also help in exfoliating skin and removing the chances of causing acne. Sugarcane juice is loaded with minerals like calcium and phosphorus.

  Can sugarcane whiten skin?

  For skin lightening: Rich in antioxidants like flavonoids and glycolic acid, a mix of sugarcane juice & papaya helps remove dead cells from the surface of the skin thus revealing fresh, smooth & brighter looking skin.