Bioactive Compounds in Maple Syrup

Filed in archive Food and Agriculture on March 23, 2010

© Matt Pettengill

More than 20 bioactive compounds have been found in maple syrup from Canada. Thirteen of these are newly discovered in maple syrup, and eight have been found in the Acer (maple) family for the first time. Some of these are also reported to have anti-cancer, anti-bacterial and anti-diabetic properties.

According to the researchers, the high levels of antioxidant compounds in maple syrup may be due, in part, to the process of obtaining and processing ample syrup. When the sugar maple is wounded when it is tapped for its sap, and that it secretes phenolics as a defense mechanism.

Seeram said the sap probably has low concentrations of these native phenolics. "But when you boil the sap down, there could be higher levels because syrup is a highly concentrated liquid. Plus, the natural plant bioactives could remain intact or undergo process-induced chemical changes during the heating process resulting in further-derived bioactive compounds."

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