# Non-Centrifugal Sugar (NCS) and Health: A Review on Functional Components and Health Benefits
## 6 Biological Properties of NCS  
### Antioxidant Properties  
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production can cause protein carboxylation, DNA damage and lipid peroxidation, resulting in several human diseases, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, ageing, Alzheimer's disease, kidney disease, and cancer [44]. The use of dietary antioxidants is known to be an essential strategy for inactivating ROS. Antioxidants are molecules that can give an electron to free radicals. As such, they neutralize, reduce, or remove the free radical effectiveness to damage cells and biomolecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids [44]. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c} \hline \hline
**Name** & **Country** \\ \hline Vollrohrzucker & Germany \\ Black sugar (Kurosato), and Kokuto & Japan \\ Evaporated cane juice and raw sugar & Europe, North America and USA \\ Chancanca & Peru and Bolivia \\ Azúcar Inteperal and Azúcar Panela & Latin America, Argentina \\ Gula Java and Gula Merah & Indonesia \\ Gula Melaka & Malaysia \\ Dulce and Tapa Dulce & Costa Rica and Nicaragua \\ Panocha and Panutsa & Philippines \\ Gur & India and Pakistan \\ Hakuru and Vellam & Sri Lanka \\ Rapadura & Brazil and Guatem \\ Jaggery & India, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa \\ Moscovado & Philippines \\ Panela & Colombia, Ecuador, Guatem, Panama and Venezuela \\ Papelón & Venezuela \\ Pilonello & Mexico \\ Namtan Tande & Thailand \\ Unrefined Muscovado & UK \\ Sukari Njumru & Swahili-speaking countries \\ Raspadura & Panama \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 5: Different NCS names in different countries [19]. Figure 2: Production diagram of NCS. NCS exhibits intense antioxidant activity. The NCS antioxidant property is mainly due to the presence of polyphenols. The NCS major constituents that cause the antioxidant abilities are phenolic acids and flavonoids [18; 23]. The phenolic acids in NCS that possess antioxidative ability are caffe acid, \(p\)-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid and chlorogenic acid [23]. Therefore, NCS, given alone or together with conventional therapy, could manage chronic diseases linked to oxidative stress. Various investigations showed that NCS could avert pathological conditions caused by oxidative stress. In vitro studies revealed that NCS could remove free radicals (peroxyl radicals and nitric oxide) and reduce ferric cations, chelate metal ions, inhibit lipid peroxidation and \(\beta\)-carotene bleaching [16; 17; 18; 20; 21; 23; 31; 33; 34; 45; 46]. [PERSON] et al. [20] reported the potency of the NCS samples on the inactivation of cellular ROS induced by superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide. Jaggery and BS showed cytoprotective capacities against tert-butyl hydroperoxide, hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and human erythrocytes [16]. Additionally, animal studies have revealed that jaggary could enhance the antioxidant defence system in rodents by stimulating the functions of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase, and increase the amounts of reduced glutathione [35; 47]. [PERSON] et al. [35] investigated the effect of the NCS fraction of kokuto on stressed mice during the treatment period of 7 days. Since stress leads to a surge in ROS, the efficacy of NCS in improving the antioxidant system was assessed through the measurement of radical scavenging activity and SOD activity in serum and liver. SOD activity and the antioxidant effect in serum and liver were significantly increased with all tested concentrations of NCS (25%, 50%, 75% and 100%). [PERSON] and [PERSON], [48] reported that replacing refined white sugar with unrefined sugarcane sweeteners increases the daily intake of antioxidants to 28.68 mmoles of FRAP equivalent, which is equivalent to the consumption of 1 kg of apples per day. However, no reports are available on the effect of NCS compared to refined sugar on improving oxidative stress and antioxidant system in subjects with metabolic syndrome factors.