Abstract

The nutritional composition of banana flowers of two cultivars [cvs. Baxijiao (AAA) and Paradisical (AAB)] grown in Hainan of China has been studied. Flower samples were collected and extracted according to methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Results showed that banana flowers contained abundant dietary fiber (4.96-5.74 g/100g) and proteins (1.62-2.07 g/100 g). The major amino acids are glycine, leucine, alanine, and aspartic acid. Lysine had a lowest chemical score of 64% among the essential amino acids. In both species, flowers contained a higher composition of unsaturated fatty acids (65-66%), mainly the linoleic acid, while saturated fatty acids (mainly palmitic acid) is low.  The contents of vitamin E, total saponin and flavonoids were 0.87-1.07, 0.12 and 5.27–5.90 mg/100 g, respectively. This study provides a fundamental nutritional data of banana flowers which can be essential in food science.

Key words: Banana flower, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin E.