Discovery of bioactive natural products from sugarcane

This research was undertaken to discover new potential products (with a focus on flavonoids) from sugarcane and sugar production by-products that have pharmaceutical, nutraceutical or functional food applications. Specifically, cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory/immune modulation and glycaemic index (GI) activities were surveyed. The results suggest that there are potentially novel anti-inflammatory and α-amylase inhibiting compound(s) present. These extracts or compounds may have use in the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2 or inflammation-related diseases such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis and atherosclerosis. Further research such as compound identification and in vivo testing is warranted.