Ripening-stage variations in small metabolites across six banana cultivars: A metabolomic perspective

Currently, understanding of how banana cultivars differ in metabolism during ripening is limited. This study compared the pulp metabolites of six banana cultivars using NMR. Bananas with B genome were found to have higher amounts of total starch, amylose, amylopectin, and resistant starch compared to those without B genome. NMR identified 21 key metabolites distinguish these cultivars. These metabolites included four soluble sugars, three organic acids, eleven amino acids, one alcohol, one choline, and one other compound. Notably, the levels of four soluble sugars varied significantly among the cultivars. 'Gongjiao' and 'Guangfen No. 1' had a slightly sour taste due to higher levels of malate and citrate. The accumulation of eleven key amino acids differed among varieties and changed unpredictably during ripening. Other important metabolites also played a role in distinguishing six banana varieties. This research provided new insights into how metabolites were used to differentiate between banana cultivars.