Effects of Onion Juice and Moringa oleifera Leaf Juice on the Shelf Life of Sugarcane Juice

Abstract

Effects of onion juice and Moringa oleifera leaf juice on the shelf life of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) cultivar R579 juice were studied. R579 sugarcane cultivar was selected based on its juice yield (1500 ml/2.5 kg) compared to Saccharum officinarum cultivars R570 (1000 ml/2.5 kg), Bungara (1200 ml/2.5 kg) and Galagaza (800 ml/2.5 kg). The concentrations for onion and Moringa oleifera leaf juice were chosen based on recommended dietary allowance (RDA) where design expert software was used to establish the ratios. There was a significant growth of microbes in non-pasteurized sugarcane juice and stored at room temperature. The yeast/mould and Leuconostoc sp. counts were 5.48 and 4.45, 9.48 and 10.45, and 4.43 and 3.48 (log CFU/ml) at 12, 168 and 672 hours of storage, respectively. The addition of onion juice (20%), Moringa oleifera leaf juice (30%) and combination of 20% onion juice and 30% Moringa oleifera leaf juice to the pasteurized sugarcane juice and stored at refrigeration temperature (4 ± 2 °C) significantly controlled the growth of yeasts/moulds and Leuconostoc sp. to 1.96 and 0.00, 1.68 and 1.55, and 0.00 and 0.00 (log CFU/ml), respectively, at 672 hours of storage. A combination of 20% onion juice and 30% moringa leaf juice and storage conditions had significance influence on the shelf life of sugarcane juice.

Keywords: Sugarcane juice; onion juice; moringa leaf juice; shelf life; microbial analysis