Orifice based hydrodynamic cavitation of sugarcane juice: Changes in Physico-chemical parameters and Microbiological load

An orifice based hydrodynamic cavitation system was developed for treating fresh sugarcane juice, non-thermally. The effect of hydrodynamic cavitation treatment parameters such as pressure (2.5, 3, and 3.5 bar), processing time (10, 20, 30, 40 min), and type of orifice plate geometry on the physicochemical attributes such as temperature rise, pH, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), viscosity, change in colour and microbial load of the sugarcane juice were investigated. The maximum rise in temperature during the treatment was 22 degrees C at 3.5 bars with the 17 number of orifices. The pH decreased from 4.94 to 4.64 and TSS significantly reduced (p < 0.01) from 20 to 13 degrees Brix depending on the severity of the treatment. The reduction in viscosity was in the range of 3-48%. The maximum colour change in the juice could be observed when treated at an inlet pressure of 3.5 bar for a processing time of 40 min with a plate having 17 numbers of orifices. The maximum microbial load inactivation from 5.53 log(10) CFU/mL to 3.3 log(10) CFU/mL was observed at the highest pressure, processing time, and orifices.