Centre Africain de Recherches sur Bananiers et Plantains

Plantain flours offer a valuable preservation method with economic and nutritional benefits, especially for coeliac-friendly foods, but their quality may decline if production techniques are not well controlled. This study is one of the first to comprehensively compare pulp and whole-fruit flours across ripening stages, combining physicochemical, nutritional, and multivariate analyses. It specifically examines the effects of two heat treatments (blanching at 85°C for 5 min and precooking at 100°C for 15 min) on the quality of flours derived from the pulps and whole fruits of two plantain clones (Batard and CARBAP K74) at ripening stages 1, 3, and 5. Results revealed that variety, ripening stage, matrix, and treatment significantly influenced (p < 0.05) the quality of the flours. Treatments significantly affected the flour's color (L*, a*, b* parameters); blanching increased the browning index, whereas precooking decreased it. The flours exhibited acceptable moisture, pH, and soluble solids values, confirming good product stability. Carbohydrates were the predominant component (68%-85%), followed by fibers (1.9%-10.4%), proteins (2.5%-4.4%), ashes (1.7%-4%), and lipids (0.6%-2.1%). While the main fatty acids were palmitic, linoleic, and alpha-linolenic acids. Antinutritional factors such as phytates, oxalates, and tannins were present at low levels. Multivariate analyses (PCA and HCA) revealed a clear separation of samples according to maturity stage, variety, and thermal treatment, grouping them into two main classes and identifying six superior flours from precooked whole CARBAP K74 clone. These findings highlight their potential at ripening stages 3 and 5 for use in functional foods and as sustainable alternatives to wheat-based products.

Banana peels, 30–40% of the fruit, often discarded, can be sustainably valued depending on postharvest quality preserved or modified by processing. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of two drying methods (drying at room temperature and in an oven at 45 °C) on the physicochemical, nutritional, and antinutritional properties of four clones of banana peels (Batard, Grande naine, PITA 14, and CARBAP K74) at different ripening stages. Fresh and dried peels were analyzed at five ripening stages based on color. Drying significantly influences (p < 0.05) these parameters. Dried peels had higher acidity, pH, and soluble solids. Drying could either increase or decrease the nutritional parameters, with protein (4.32–10.89%), lipid (2.72–14.97%), carbohydrate (55.64–70.17%), and dry matter (11.29–92.44%). Cyanide content remained below 1%. The study suggests that banana peels, particularly Batard and CARBAP K74, are rich in nutrients. Drying at 45 °C best preserves their nutritional and physicochemical properties while reducing cyanide in CARBAP K74 and Grande naine. These findings highlight banana peels as a valuable resource in human and animal feeding.

Inadequate consideration of textural quality in conventional breeding pipelines of plantains (from breeders to end-users) results in limited impact. Knowledge of the textural quality characteristics of boiled plantain, as preferred by end-users, could help improve the adoption of new clones when these traits are selected for breeding. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between instrumental and sensory texture attributes of boiled plantain genotypes. Consumer testing (Just About Right and Check All That Apply tests), sensory quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA) and penetrometry were conducted with nine accessions: three landraces and six plantain-like bred hybrids. Landraces were considered just-about-right by more than 45% of people for all the sensory attributes (humidity, sweetness, color and firmness), described by characteristics such as smooth on sight, attractive, mealy, firm, plantain taste and yellow. Color and firmness were the most highly scored attributes by panelists for the landraces. Penetrometry discriminated among genotypes better than TPA. Hardness, gumminess, resilience and chewiness were the most discriminatory attributes for TPA, whereas hardness and area under the curve were the most discriminatory attributes for penetrometry. No correlation was found between penetrometry and sensory texture of boiled plantain. For TPA, negative correlations were found between sensory humidity and hardness, as well as between sensory firmness and resilience, whereas a positive correlation was found between resilience and sensory humidity. Combining QDA and texture measurements can make the selection of plantain hybrids more effective and improve the adoption of new varieties. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Plantains are of major importance in the diet of many African populations. Plantains undergo many processing techniques at different ripening stages. Boiling is the most common method of processing plantains in Cameroonian households. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of cooking mode and ripening stage on the physicochemical and nutritional parameters of two Musa genotypes. Fruits from genotypes, Batard and CARBAP K74, at three ripening stages (unripe, semi-ripe and ripe) were studied. Physicochemical and nutritional analyses were performed on raw and cooked pulps with and without peel at different cooking times (from 10 to 60 min). Significant variations (P < 0.05) were observed in the parameters assessed during cooking at each ripening stage according to cooking time. Plantain pulps boiled with peel exhibited high firmness (0.7-1.7 kgf), high soluble solids (7.4-22.4°Brix) and high dry matter content (29.8-38.3%) at all ripening stages. This cooking method yielded high protein (3.0-4.8%), lipid (0.2-1.8%), total starch (32-73%) and total carbohydrate (18-32%) contents. Boiling with or without peel had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the pH of Batard pulps, nor the ash content of the pulps of both genotypes. Irrespective of the ripening stages used, during cooking by immersion in boiling water, cooking with peel best preserves the physicochemical and nutritional parameters of the analysed genotypes. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

The assessment of user acceptability in relation to crop quality traits should be a full part of breeding selection programs. Our methodology is based on a combination of sensory approaches aiming to evaluate the sensory characteristics and user acceptability of root, tuber and banana (RTB) varieties. The four-stepped approach links sensory characteristics to physicochemical properties and end-user acceptance. It starts with the development of key quality traits using qualitative approaches (surveys and ranking) and it applies a range of sensory tests such as Quantitative Descriptive Analysis with a trained panel, Check-All-That-apply, nine-point hedonic scale and Just-About-Right with consumers. Results obtained on the same samples from the consumer acceptance, sensory testing and physicochemical testing are combined to explore correlations and develop acceptability thresholds. A combined qualitative and quantitative approach involving different sensory techniques is necessary to capture sensory acceptance of products from new RTB clones. Some sensory traits can be correlated with physicochemical characteristics and could be evaluated using laboratory instruments (e.g. texture). Other traits (e.g. aroma and mealiness) are more difficult to predict, and the use of a sensory panel is still necessary. For these latter traits, more advanced physicochemical methods that could accelerate the breeding selection through high throughput phenotyping are still to be developed. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

SummaryHybridizations between closely related species commonly occur in the domestication process of many crops. Banana cultivars are derived from such hybridizations between species and subspecies of the Musa genus that have diverged in various tropical Southeast Asian regions and archipelagos. Among the diploid and triploid hybrids generated, those with seedless parthenocarpic fruits were selected by humans and thereafter dispersed through vegetative propagation. Musa acuminata subspecies contribute to most of these cultivars. We analyzed sequence data from 14 M. acuminata wild accessions and 10 M. acuminata‐based cultivars, including diploids and one triploid, to characterize the ancestral origins along their chromosomes. We used multivariate analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism clustering and identified five ancestral groups as contributors to these cultivars. Four of these corresponded to known M. acuminata subspecies. A fifth group, found only in cultivars, was defined based on the ‘Pisang Madu’ cultivar and represented two uncharacterized genetic pools. Diverse ancestral contributions along cultivar chromosomes were found, resulting in mosaics with at least three and up to five ancestries. The commercially important triploid Cavendish banana cultivar had contributions from at least one of the uncharacterized genetic pools and three known M. acuminata subspecies. Our results highlighted that cultivated banana origins are more complex than expected – involving multiple hybridization steps – and also that major wild banana ancestors have yet to be identified. This study revealed the extent to which admixture has framed the evolution and domestication of a crop plant.

This study was carried out as a prelude to elucidate a management plan that could limit residues in fruits and the environment without compromising quality. In order to meet our objectives, snails were randomly sampled from banana growth stages, different plant parts, residues, polythene bag-covered and uncovered banana bunches, and at different distances from the field edges. To assess seasonality of snail infestations, snails were sampled from the pre-flowering growth stage (January to September, 2012). The egg-laying and aestivating behaviours of snails were assessed by counting them from residues, weeds and soil. We recorded a higher number of snails on growth stages and plant parts in the rainy season compared to the dry season. The number of snails were significantly higher in the pre-flowering growth stages in the wet season (72.1 snails/plant) compared to those from the same stage in the dry season (0.88 snails/plant) (p=0.05). Although the highest number of snails were recorded on leaves in both seasons compared to other plants parts, the numbers were significantly higher on leaves during the rainy season compared to those in the dry season (p=0.05). Residues were the most preferred egg-laying and aestivating sites for snails while leaves on the ground haboured the highest number of snails in both seasons. We therefore concluded that focus on monitoring and management of the snails should be intensified during the rainy season with special attention on pre-flowered plants, uncovered bunches, and residues.