Abstract
The present study endeavoured to evaluate the nutritional, phytochemical and functional properties of outer and inner bracts of culinary banana flower which is a by-product of banana production. Both outer and inner bracts were found to be rich in dietary fibre (61.13 and 66.22%, respectively) along with other chemical compositions including proximate, minerals, and antioxidant-rich phenolics both free and bound. In addition, the functional properties including glucose dialysis retardation index (GDRI) of outer and inner bracts were also studied. The outer and inner bracts exhibited total polyphenols 7.56 and 9.44 mg phenols/g dry sample, respectively. The polyphenol profile by HPLC, revealed the presence of significant amount of free and bound phenolics in both outer and inner bracts. Functional properties of these dietary fibres-rich fractions of culinary banana flower exhibited lower bulk density, higher water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, and water-swelling capacity in outer and inner bracts than cellulose. The outer and inner bracts showed relatively higher GDRI compared to control and cellulose. The results revealed that both the outer and inner bracts of culinary banana flower are rich source of dietary fibre along with high antioxidant activity and could be one of the promising functional ingredients for low-calorie and high-fibre food product.