Nutritional component changes in Xiangfen 1 banana at different developmental stages

Banana is an essential food resource in many tropical and subtropical countries. Metabolites in banana greatly influence its nutritional value and flavor. However, metabolic changes that occur in different developmental stages have not been comprehensively evaluated. In this study, widely targeted metabolomics based on multiple reaction monitoring was used in investigating dynamic changes in metabolites at three stages of fruit development. A total of 655 metabolites were identified in all the stages. A hierarchical cluster analysis of metabolites showed six clear expression patterns at the three developmental stages, and 69 up-regulated differential metabolites were identified in mature fruits compared with young and mature green fruits. A metabolic pathway analysis of differential metabolites showed significant enrichment of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway and the phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis pathways. These results may serve as a reference for the isolation and identification of functional compounds from banana and for their sufficient utilization in the future.