| dc.description.abstract | Banana cultivars that are rich in provitamin A carotenoids and other nutrients may offer a potential food source to help alleviate
vitamin A deficiencies, particularly in developing countries. The local plantain type banana, Agung Semeru (Musa paradisiaca L.),
was investigated, in order to analyse the changes in the compositions of the provitamin A carotenoids and metabolite compounds,
including the amino acids, organic acids, and sugars, during the ripening stage as this banana is widely processed for food products
in either the unripe, ripe, or overripe stages. The bananas that had reached the desired ripening stages were subjected to highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, and the results indicated that the total provitamin A carotenoid
concentrations ranged between 4748.83 μg/100 g dry weight (dw) and 7330.40 μg/100 g dw, with the highest level of vitamin A
activity at 457:33 ± 5:18 μg retinol activity equivalents (RAE)/100 g dw. Compared to the Cavendish variety, which is consumed
worldwide, the Agung Semeru banana had vitamin A activity that was 40 to 90 times higher, dependent on the stage of
ripening. The breakdown of the starch during the ripening stages resulted in an increase of its sugar compounds, such as
sucrose, fructose, and glucose, as well as its dominant organic acids, such as malic acid, oxalic acid, and citric acid, which were
observed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) during the ripening stages. The findings of this study show
that the Agung Semeru banana is a promising fruit that could be widely produced as a nutritional and energy food resource, due
to its high levels of vitamin A activity and sugars. | en_US |
