B. Goswami et A. Borthakur, CHEMICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS OF DEVELOPING CULINARY BANANA (MUSA ABB) KACKKAL, Food chemistry, 55(2), 1996, pp. 169-172
The variations in chemical constituents and activities of acid phospha
tase, alpha-glucan phosphorylase and polyphenol oxidase at five differ
ent stages of development of a culinary banana were determined. Moistu
re, crude fat, crude protein and most of the minerals were higher duri
ng the earlier stages of development and declined towards maturity. Po
tassium was the most abundant mineral with estimated values in the ran
ge of 4.10-5.55 g per 100 g dry weight. An active synthesis of starch
throughout the growth period occurred. During this period total solubl
e sugar declined. The amylose:amylopectin ratio in the starch fraction
remained constant. The activity of alpha-glucan phosphorylase in the
direction of starch synthesis showed a synchronizing increase while th
at of acid phosphatase declined throughout. There was a gradual decrea
se in phenol content during development which did not show correlation
with corresponding change in polyphenol oxidase activity.