Fructan distribution in banana cultivars and effect of ripening and processing on Nendran banana

Abstract

Many plants store fructan as reserve carbohydrate. Fructans naturally present in almost all plant foods, are also used as functional ingredients by the food industry to modify the texture and taste due to their properties as gelling agents, fat substitutes, soluble dietary fibers and low calorie sweeteners. Seven banana cultivars were analysed for fructans and Nendran banana was selected for the next set of experiments as it had the highest fructan content (1433.3 mg/100 g) among the cultivars studied. Low temperature ripening (16°C) of Nendran banana resulted in higher fructan accumulation of these carbohydrates in cold conditions. Pectinase pre-treatment significantly increased yield of total fructans from 1.4/ 100 g to 6.5 g/100 g i.e., 370 %. Fructan composition was affected by processing, namely steaming and puree preparation in Nendran. The fructan composition data documented in this study will enable including banana, naturally high in fructans in the diet and will facilitate storage and processing for nutritional formulation for higher fructan consumption.

Potential prebiotic properties of cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale L.) agro‐industrial byproduct on Lactobacillus species

“…10 Fructans, which comprises the FOS group, is the main prebiotic ingredient in use by the food industry. 14,17,37 Overall, the assays to verify the metabolic activity revealed a similar capability of L. acidophilus LA-05, L. casei L-26 and L. paracasei L-10 to ferment the FOS, a proven prebiotic component, and CAP in cultivation media, although some differences related to the production of organic acids and the consumption of sugars were observed. These differences may be related to: (i) the already known metabolic diversity of Lactobacillus 30 and (ii) the distinct composition of each cultivation media primarily as a result of the different added-carbon sources because the formation of intermediate-and end-products during carbohydrates fermentation depends on both the substrate composition and the metabolic characteristics of different bacterial species and strains.…”

“…The capacity of lactic acid bacteria to ferment complex carbohydrates with the release of smaller saccharides has been reported previously . Fructans, which comprises the FOS group, is the main prebiotic ingredient in use by the food industry . Overall, the assays to verify the metabolic activity revealed a similar capability of L. acidophilus LA‐05, L. casei L‐26 and L. paracasei L‐10 to ferment the FOS, a proven prebiotic component, and CAP in cultivation media, although some differences related to the production of organic acids and the consumption of sugars were observed.…”

“…Under these conditions, the growth of certain pathogenic bacteria is inhibited, whereas the growth of Lactobacillus and other beneficial bacteria is stimulated . Overall, the insoluble (277.2 g kg −1 ) and soluble (74.3 g kg −1 ) fibers and fructans (15.4 g kg −1 ) that were detected in the studied CAP (Table ) are potential metabolic substrates for the establishment of the confirmed prebiotic effects because the components of dietary fiber and fructans are resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine; when these substrates reach the colon, they are selectively fermented by the beneficial bacteria comprising the intestinal flora . The presence of monosaccharides in CAP, such as glucose, fructose and maltose, even in small amounts, may also potentiate the use of CAP as a direct fermentable substrate by probiotic bacteria …”

“…17 Overall, the insoluble (277.2 g kg −1 ) and soluble (74.3 g kg −1 ) fibers and fructans (15.4 g kg −1 ) that were detected in the studied CAP (Table 1) are potential metabolic substrates for the establishment of the confirmed prebiotic effects because the components of dietary fiber and fructans are resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine; when these substrates reach the colon, they are selectively fermented by the beneficial bacteria comprising the intestinal flora. 36,37 The presence of monosaccharides in CAP, such as glucose, fructose and maltose, even in small amounts, may also potentiate the use of CAP as a direct fermentable substrate by probiotic bacteria. 5 The contents of acetic, lactic, citric and malic acids that were produced during the 48-h cultivation of the probiotic Lactobacillus strains in media containing glucose, FOS or CAP are presented in Fig.…”

Dietary fiber, starch, and sugars in bananas at different stages of ripeness in the retail market

“…Thus, it has become increasingly necessary to understand dietary fiber in greater detail. Bananas are known to contain both oligo- and polysaccharide structures that contribute to dietary fiber such as fructans, resistant starch, cellulose, xyloglucans, mannans, and pectin [ 80 , 81 ]. How these fiber components are affected by fruit ripening, point of origin, or post-harvest treatment is yet to be fully understood.…”