Post-harvest biochemical profile of Musa spp. fruits, emphasis on bioactive compounds

Author(s)

Cristine Vanz Borges

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Botucatu. 2019-02-18.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas. Botucatu
• Defense date: 2018-11-30
• Advisor: Giuseppina Pace Pereira Lima

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the physico-chemical and biochemical profile of 22 accessions of banana trees (Musa spp), with emphasis on resistant starch, carotenoids, bioactive amines, phenolic compounds and minerals. All accesses (bananas or plantains) are part of the Embrapa germplasm selection program, which aims to obtain cultivars biofortified and with improved postharvest quality. Fruits obtained from each access were evaluated at 3 ripening stages (green: stage 2; ripe: stage 5; and super-ripe, stage 7) and 3 cooking methods (boiling, microwaving and stir-frying). In the first chapter, the physical-chemical and biochemical analyzes of 19 accessions were included. It was verified a wide variation in length, fruit diameter, fresh mass, pulp ratio and physical-chemical attributes, differentiating the subgroups and/or bananas types. The banana for dessert ‘Ney Poovan’ contain high total soluble solid content and pulp-to-peel ratio, an interesting result to promotion the in natura consumption of this fruit. Results show that bananas and plantains are important sources of phenolic compounds. The genotypes ‘Ney Poovan’, ‘Ouro da Mata’, ‘Pelipita’ and ‘Tiparot’ were the ones with remarkable antioxidant compounds. Increased levels of carotenoid were found in cooking bananas and/or plantains. High levels of vitamin C were observed in plantains (AAB) and dessert banana 'Prata' (AAB), especially in ripe fruits. The genotypes ‘Pelipita’ and ‘Samurá B’ are promising for industrial use, mainly for the production of banana chips, in both green and ripe fruits. In the second chapter, pulp and peel of 22 accessions were analyzed to obtain the profile of carotenoids and pro-vitamin A potential. The provitamin A carotenoids (pVACs) content varied according to the genotypes and high quantities were identified in plantains (e.g. ‘Samurá B.’). Carotenoid content is affected by ripening stage and highest pVACs quantity was verified in the ripe fruit (stg 5). Among the evaluated cooking methods, it´s possible to emphasize the boiling of fruits with peel, which increased the bioaccessibility of the bioactive compounds, regardless of the cultivar used. In chapter 3, the profile of bioactive amines in 20 accessions is presented along the ripening and after the thermal processing. The amines tyramine, histamine, dopamine, serotonin, spermidine and spermine decreasing during the fruit ripening and the amine putrescine increased. However, in plantains serotonin and dopamine did not decrease in stage 7, showing a possible differentiation of the profile of these amines by consumption group. Peel is an important by-product in the food industry as a potential source of bioactive amines, mainly dopamine and serotonin. In addition, the thermal processing changes the amine content in the fruits, depending on the compound and the genotype analyzed, mainly when fruits with peel are boiled, which should be the favorite in domestic preparations, mainly for the consumption of larger amounts of catecholamines and indolamines, regardless of the cultivar used. In the fourth and last chapter, the contents of starch, resistant starch, minerals and phenolic compounds among the 22 accessions were evaluated. Plantain and cooking bananas highlighted in terms of starch and resistant starch (up to 49.9%). The pulps of dessert bananas 'Khai' and 'Ouro da Mata', and cooking banana 'Pacha Nadam', stand out in most of the analyzed minerals (P, K and Fe, Zn and Fe, Ca, Mg and Zn, respectively). The content of total phenolic compounds was elevated in dessert bananas (e.g., 'Ney Poovan') and cooking bananas (e.g., 'Tiparot'), mainly in ripe fruits (stg 5), giving to these fruits a higher antioxidant capacity. In addition, the thermal processing increases the functional and nutritional values of the fruits, mainly by boiling with peel, which should be the favorite in domestic preparations. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/00972-0 - Biochemical profile in post-harvest of fruit of Musa spp., enphasis on bioactives compounds
• Grantee: Cristine Vanz Borges
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate