Dextran in sugarcane production process is formed by Leuconostoc rnesenteroides. The content levels of dextran is related to sugarcane varieties, field condition （planting pattern, temperature, humidity, sunlight, soil, foreign material）, de- gree of injury （refractory cane, harvesting methods）, and can be rapidly and accu- rately measured by Dextran Immunonephelometric Test Kit. The presence of dextran indicates that sucrose has been lost, so sugarcane dextran is a direct and reliable indicator to measure sugarcane freshness and quality.
The application of octacosanol is of great importance nowadays. It’s physical and chemical properties, presence and distribution in nature, biological and physiological function, procedures of preparation, separation and purification, methods of analysis were reviewed in this paper. The application of octacosanol in functional foods, drinks and medicine industry were also summarized.
