Green banana flour is a good and low-cost food ingredient whose consumption is booming due to its physiological benefits to human health, mostly due to the highest concentration of resistant starch compared with any other unprocessed food. Resistant starch is the fraction of starches that, because our enzymes cannot digest it in the small intestine, is able to reach intact into the colon, and function as substrate for gut bacteria fermentation.
Unlike most starchy foods, green banana can be consumed fresh, in the form of a flour, or cooked, creating what is called green banana biomass. In addition to its high level of resistant starch (over 70%), it is a good source of fibers, vitamins, minerals and phenolic compounds. That nutritional profile makes it a valuable prebiotic ingredient, with great relevance for the maintenance of a healthy gut microbiota if incorporated in our regular diets.
The resistant starch present in the green banana flour serves as substrate for gut microbiota fermentation producing mainly the short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate and butyrate. Several studies have demonstrated the role of SCFAs in regulating immunity and suppressing inflammatory responses in the gut and other organs.
In addition to the resistant starch and fibers present in green banana flour, gut microbiota can also utilize tryptophan as an energy source resulting in production of many classes of substances, like melatonin that helps in organism homeostasis and has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory qualities.
Our research partner in Brazil – Laboratory of Phytomedines, Pharmacology and Biotechnology, of São Paulo State University (UNESP – Botucatu/SP) –, under the coordination of Professor Luiz Claudio Di Stasi, has focused its studies on analysing the prebiotic potential of various dietary components. Green banana flour is one of the most promising products found.
Green banana flour, in addition to increasing beneficial bacteria and SCFA levels, demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity in several pre-clinical studies. More recently, it was the subject of a clinical trial to evaluate its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent in patients with ulcerative colitis, presenting promising results.
Interested in discussing how to incorporate green banana powder into your new, functional product formulation? Feel free to reach out to us and we will be happy to help you.
References:
– Munir H. et al. Green banana resistant starch: A promising potential as functional ingredient against certain maladies. Food Sci Nutr. 2024 doi: 10.1002/fsn3.4063. PMID: 38873476
– Scarminio V. et al. Dietary intervention with green dwarf banana flour (Musa sp AAA) prevents intestinal inflammation in a trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid model of rat colitis. Nutr Res. 2012. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2012.01.002.
– Almeida-Junior, L.D. et al. Dietary intervention with green dwarf banana flour (Musa sp. AAA) modulates oxidative stress and colonic SCFAs production in the TNBS model of intestinal inflammation, Journal of Functional Foods, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2017.09.038.
