Jo. Offem et Oo. Thomas, CHEMICAL-CHANGES IN RELATION TO MODE AND DEGREE OF MATURATION OF PLANTAIN (MUSA-PARADISIACA) AND BANANA (MUSA-SAPIENTUM) FRUITS, Food research international, 26(3), 1993, pp. 187-193
Changes in the proximate and mineral constituents of the plantain and
banana fruits were monitored with time, beginning 60 and 90 days from
bunch visible emergence, respectively, for fruits allowed to ripen on
the plants, and ripen off the plants. For fruits on the plants, the po
int of minimum moisture content for the pulp and/or peel corresponded
to maximum maturity for both the plantain and the banana fruits. Prote
in levels increased with time in the fruits on the plants, and for the
same fruit ages, there was slightly more protein in the plantain than
the banana. Sugar content in both fruits increased gradually at first
until after 92 days, then increased sharply at onset of ripening and
continued increasing through the rest of the experimental period. At i
dentical ages, harvested fruits contained far more sugar (p > 0.05) th
an fruits allowed to ripen on the plants. Energy values increased grad
ually with time and reached a maximum at maximum maturity of both frui
ts. The values were consistently higher for the plantain than the bana
na (t-test, p less-than-or-equal-to 0.01). Virtually all the elements
studied had statistically higher values in plantain fruits than in ban
anas. No reason could be advanced for this phenomenon.