Starch and amylase variability in banana cultivars.

Globally, dessert bananas (Musa spp., AA, AB, and AAA genome), plantain (AAB) and cooking banana (ABB), constitute fourth most important commodity after rice, wheat and maize. It is grown in more than 130 countries across the world in an area of 4.8 million ha producing 93.39 million tonnes of banana and plantain. India is the largest producer of banana in the world, contributing 29 per cent to the global production of banana with a total production of 29.78 million tonnes from an area of 0.83 million ha (NHB 2013).Unripe banana fruit flour based products has a more beneficial effect on stomach related ailments in human beings due to the presence of more resistant starch (RS), which is strongly associated with amylose content. The present study was carried out to analyse sugars, starch and amylose content of mature unripened banana fruits of nine banana cultivars. Among tested cultivars, starch content varied in the range of 80.53–86.76 % and amylose content ranged from 24.41 to 36.87 %. Amylose content differentiates the dessert bananas from plantain and cooking bananas. The plantain and cooking bananas viz, Nendran, Monthan and Saba recorded 34 % of amylose and they have greater potential in food industries as raw material. Preparation of amylose rich banana fruit flour products reduces considerable post-harvest losses, especially in Nendran, thereby converting the rejected/culled banana fruits into flour based food products