Sugarcane Kefir: A novel sustainable fermentation-based approach for valorization of sugarcane juice with enhanced storage stability and functional properties

Sugarcane juice, rich in nutrients and bioactive components, is highly perishable, necessitating the development of technologies and products to extend its shelf life. The present work aimed to develop a fermented sugarcane kefir beverage and evaluate its storage stability. Control water kefir (C), optimised sugarcane kefir (SCC), and flavoured with ginger (SC-G) and mango ginger (SC-MG) were developed and refrigerated at 4 °C for 90 days. Physicochemical analysis indicated that the developed sugarcane kefir had unique properties, with pH ranging from 2.9 to 3.1, and a nearly 50% decrease in initial TSS. Titratable acidity, as lactic acid equivalents, indicated a 3-fold increase in SC samples compared with the control. SC beverages exhibited significantly (p ≤ 0.001) lower sugar concentrations (1.3- 4.7 mg/mL) compared to the control (8.1 mg/mL). Significantly high total phenolic content (57–84 µg GAE/mL), enhanced antioxidant activity (45–69% DPPH scavenging), and potential probiotic LAB (4.3–9.46 × 10^4 CFU/mL) were evident throughout the storage period. Overall, the SC-MG had the highest acceptability, followed by SC-G, compared with the control. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the development of functional sugarcane kefir with 90 days of stability under refrigerated storage. Results suggest that the optimised sugarcane juice matrix acts as a suitable medium for microbial fermentation, and the developed beverage can serve as an excellent functional beverage alternative to sugar-rich beverages. The development of novel sugarcane juice-based fermented beverages supports sustainable food systems by promoting functional nutrition, diversification, eco-friendly fermentation processes, and value addition to agricultural resources, thereby aligning with SDGs 9 and 12.