Identification of Turbid Compounds Generated in Sugarcane Vinegar

Sugarcane vinegar is produced in various countries of southern Asia. It is also a niche product of the Kagoshima and Okinawa Prefectures in Japan. Turbid compounds are sometimes found in sugarcane vinegar, thereby lowering the market value. In this study, the turbid compounds were precipitated with a 1:2 (v/v) volume of ethanol, and they were identified as α-1,6-glucan using enzymatic digestion tests and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. Moreover, Lactobacillus nagelii was isolated from sugarcane juice, and it produced α-1,6-glucan when grown with sugar. The turbid compounds found in sugarcane vinegar were assumed to be α-1,6-glucan produced from sugar by lactic acid bacteria that exist in sugarcane juice.