Enhancing the Bioactive Properties of Sugarcane Vinegar Through Caesalpinia sappan Extract Supplementation: A Novel Approach for Functional Beverage Development

Functional vinegars have been produced from various ingredients worldwide, yet there remains a notable gap in utilizing herbal plants as complementary ingredients to sugar-based materials. This study investigates the innovative combination of <i>Caesalpinia sappan</i> extract with sugarcane juice for functional vinegar production. The results demonstrate that <i>C. sappan</i>-supplemented vinegars exhibited significantly enhanced quality parameters compared to control vinegar made from sugarcane juice alone. Specifically, the supplemented vinegars showed increased total acidity and total phenolic content (TPC), with the improvement directly proportional to the concentration of plant extract used. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed unique volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that were present exclusively in the <i>C. sappan</i>-supplemented vinegars but absent in the control. Most notably, the supplementation of <i>C. sappan</i> extract at concentrations of 2 and 4 g/L substantially enhanced both the antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity of the resulting vinegars. These biochemical improvements highlight the synergistic potential of combining sugarcane juice with <i>C. sappan</i> extract for developing novel functional vinegar beverages with enhanced bioactive properties. Our findings open new possibilities for creating value-added products that leverage traditional medicinal plants in modern functional beverages, potentially offering consumers additional health benefits beyond conventional vinegars.