Influence of Banana Genotype on Polyphenol Content and Starch Digestibility of Unripe Flours

Banana fruits are consumed raw as desserts or after cooking. They are classified based on their genotype as pure (AAA) or hybrid cultivars (AAB). There is a growing interest in the use of unripe banana flours to produce functional foods due to the presence of polyphenols and dietary fiber (including resistant starch). This study aimed to investigate the impact of banana genotype on the content of polyphenols and starch digestibility. One pure cultivar and two hybrids (dessert and cooking cultivars) were studied. The chemical composition, polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, and starch hydrolysis rate were analyzed. The hybrid cultivars (manzano and plantain) showed a higher total starch content than the pure cultivar (morado); dietary fiber showed an inverse pattern, with the cooking hybrid cultivar (plantain) presenting the lowest value. The dessert hybrid (manzano) exhibited the lowest value of the FRAP radical, indicating the presence of different polyphenols in different banana genotypes. Rapidly digestible starch showed the highest value due to the cooking process, with the hybrid dessert banana (manzano) demonstrating the slowest starch digestion rate. The starch hydrolysis constant varied: morado presented the highest value, while the dessert hybrid (manzano) showed the lowest. These results can help to determine the applications of banana cultivars.