Recent research has demonstrated relationship between the aging process and the damaging effects of free radicals on tissue cells, and the beneficial impact on blood plasma antioxidant capacity of the increased daily intake of antioxidant-rich foods. Two Japanese studies, published in 2001 and 2002 Sugar Industries Technologists Technical proceedings, have presented the physiological effects of sugar cane extracts, viz. promotion of resistance against viral and bacterial infections, stimulation of immune response, protection against liver injuries and growth promotion in chickens.

The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) method to quantify the antioxidant property, as promulgated by USDA scientists, has been used to rank (ORAC units/100 g) common foods: Prunes (5,770), and blueberries (2,400) top the list, trailed by such health food industry favourites as kale (1,770), spinach (1,260). ORAC values of various sugarcane products, as reported by Dr. Saska (Saska and Chou, 2002) of Louisiana State University, range from some 5000 (ORAC units/100g dried solid) to over 35,000, and antioxidants in concentrated sugarcane extracts obtained from cane juice was found to contain over one million ORAC unit (�mole TE/100 g dry solids).

According to USDA research (Bank, 2005), ORAC value of an average serving of vegetables equals approximately 900 �moles TE, and that of fruit is approximately 3400 �moles TE. The estimated ORAC intake of the daily recommended nine servings of fruits and vegetables equals about 20,000 �moles TE.

This paper presents the physical chemical aspect of the antioxidants extraction methods from sugarcane products in a pilot plant operation.