Green banana biomass (Musa sp.) as an ingredient in the development of pasta Biomassa de banana verde (Musa sp.) como ingrediente no desenvolvimento de massas alimentícias Biomasa de plátano verde (Musa sp.) como ingrediente en la elaboración de pastas

Green banana biomass (GBB) can be used as a functional and technological ingredient in various food preparations, making them healthier and more nutritious. The aim of the present study was to determine the physicochemical compositions as well as color parameters of different GBB samples, and applying them to gnocchi pasta to determine the resulting technological and cooking properties. The bananas (‘BRS Platina, ‘Fhia 01,’ and ‘Fhia 18’) were grown in an area of the Agroecological Production Integrated System, in Seropédica-RJ, Brazil; the bananas were harvested unripe and pressured cooked to obtain their biomass. The pH values, total titratable acidity, total soluble solids, reducing sugars, moisture, ash, proteins, lipids, total starch, total energetic value (TEV), vitamin C, total phenolic compounds (TPC), minerals, and color were significantly different among the different GBB samples used. Each GBB showed different values of certain analyzed parameters; for instance, ‘BRS Platina’ presented low contents of total starch, lipids, TEV and high levels of vitamin C and TPC. The GBB ‘Fhia 01’presented the highest levels of moisture, proteins, and potassium. All GBBs provided good technological attributes (cooking time, weight increase, cooking loss, and volume increase) for the prepared gnocchi dough. Overall, the application of GBB as an ingredient in gnocchi formulation provided good technological quality and increased nutritional value, thus meeting the growing demand of the consumer market for products with greater health benefits.


Introduction
Over the last few years, interest in bananas has increased, mainly in the ripening stage, owing to research on the application of its biomass as a powerful ingredient for preparing different pasta products (Dias et al., 2011;Oliveira, 2015;Castelo-Branco et al., 2017;Marques et al., 2016;Silva et al. 2017;Souza et al., 2018). This fact is correlated with the functional and technological properties of GBB attributed to the presence of resistant starch in its matrix (Mastro et al., 2007;Cassettari et al., 2019).
Its technological properties are related to its action as an emulsifying, thickening, and gelling agent in foods in which it is used, in addition to not altering the original sensory characteristics, and maintaining its color, flavor, and odor (Padam et al., 2014;Ranieri & Delani, 2014;Costa, 2017). Therefore, green banana biomass (GBB) can be used to formulate various sweet and savory preparations (Marques et al., 2016).
With regard to functional properties, GBB promotes a prebiotic effect on the intestinal microbiota, stimulating its growth and development, in addition to enhancing the immune system, reducing the incidence of inflammation in the intestinal mucosa and constipation as well as reducing and controlling the development of chronic non-communicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and obesity (Oliveira;Santos;Santos, 2016;Costa et al., 2017;Vogado et al., 2018;Cassettari et al., 2019). It is important to highlight that the incidence of these diseases has been increasing in the population over the last few years, accounting for approximately 70% of mortality rates globally (World Health Organization, 2018). Therefore, it is appropriate to consider the application of GBB in conventional pasta products as a substitute for commonly used industrial ingredients that are rich in saturated fats, hydrogenated fats, and simple sugars (Izidoro et al., 2008;Dinon et al., 2014;Souza et al., 2018). Pastas are consumed worldwide, and are prepared using durum wheat flour and semolina or flour from other cereals and/or tubers as the main ingredients (Punia et al., 2019). However, they have a high content of simple carbohydrates and high caloric value in addition to a low content of minerals and fibers, which are essential nutrients for maintaining human health (Omeire et al., 2014).
Based on the increasing incidence of diseases as mentioned above, a worldwide market trend has been observed regarding the search for healthier foods (Shammakh et al., 2020), which has been promoting the mobilization of food industries to adapt their products, reduce the use of additives, chemicals, artificial colors, sugars, sodium, and fats (Pires, 2020;Boukid, 2021;Wan et al., 2021;Santos et al., 2021;Souto et al., 2021).
GBB is a food ingredient that fits in this context by increasing the healthiness of the preparations to which it is added, in addition to having great potential for improving the functional and technological properties of pasta. However, the effects of different banana cultivars on the physicochemical, nutritional, and cooking qualities of pasta containing GBB remain unclear.
The aim of the present study was to develop three cultivars of green banana, to determine their mineral and physicochemical compositions, as well as color parameters, and applying them to gnocchi pasta to evaluate their technological quality.
The studied GBBs were obtained as described by Marques et al. (2016), with minor modifications. Bunches of bananas were dismembered manually and using a knife, and the peels were visually inspected to scrutinize the presence of defects (discolored spots on the peels and lesions that reached the pulp).
Selected bananas (1 kg of each cultivar) were sanitized using sodium hypochlorite solution (200 ppm) for 15 min and rinsed in tap water. The samples were then cooked in a pressure cooker (Polished Pressure Cooker 10 L 24 cm, Tramontina ® , São Paulo, Brazil) with a capacity of 10 L for 20 min in boiling water. The bananas were then peeled using cutlery and processed in a blender (PH900, Philco ® , São Paulo, Brazil) until a smooth homogeneous cream was obtained. The biomass was transferred to airtight glass containers, and stored at 4 °C in a refrigerator (TC41, Continental ® , Curitiba, Brazil) until further analysis.

Determination of mineral and physicochemical composition
The pH value was determined as described by Anyasi et al. (2015) using a digital potentiometer (8255, DIGILAB, São Paulo, Brazil). The total soluble solid content was determined using a portable refractometer (RT-280, Instrutherm, São Paulo, Brazil) as described by Youryon e Supapvanich (2017). Total acidity was determined by direct titration using a NaOH solution (0.1 mol/L) according to AOAC (2010). The total reducing sugar content was determined as described by Somogy (1945) and Nelson (1944). The total starch content was determined through prior acid hydrolysis of starch to sugars followed by quantification as described by Lane e Eynon (ASEAN Manual of Food Analysis, 2011). The moisture, ash, lipid, and protein contents were determined according to the guidelines of AOAC (2010). The total phenolic compound contents were determined by spectrophotometry using the Folin-Ciocalteu calorimetric method as described by Swain & Hillis (1959). The vitamin C content was determined according to the method of Strohecker e Henning (1967). The mineral content was determined using the USEPA 3050 method (Edgell, 1989). The total energetic value (TEV), expressed in calories (kcal), was determined using the conversion factors described in RDC 360 of the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) (Brazil, 2003), as per the following equation: TEV = 4 × (g proteins + g carbohydrates) + 9 × (g lipids)

Preparation of gnocchi enriched with GBB
For preparing gnocchi, which was prepared according to the method of preparing english potato gnocchi described in the Brazilian Food Composition Table (TACO, 2011), 49% p/p of GBB (for each cultivar), 40% p/p of brown rice flour, 10% p/p of olive oil, and 1% p/p of salt were homogenized until a consistent and homogeneous mixture was obtained; this was modeled in cubic shapes (approximately 3 cm edges) and then cooked in boiling water. At the end of cooking, the gnocchi were placed in airtight containers and stored in a freezer at-18 °C.

Cooking qualities
Cooking time was determined according to methods n° 66-50 from AACC (1989), and the weight and volume increases were determined as described by Silva, Rossini & Carvalho (2016). Loss of soluble solids was determined as described by Fradique et al. (2010).

Statistical analysis
All analyses were performed in triplicate and the final data were expressed as mean value and standard deviation and were analyzed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA). When the results differed significantly among groups, the Tukey test was applied at a 5% significance level (p ≤ 0.05) using Statistica 7.0 ® software.

Physicochemical characterization of green banana biomass
The values of pH, total soluble solids (SST), total titratable acidity (ATT), and reducing sugars were directly related to the fruit maturation stage. The main organic acids found in bananas include malic, citric, and oxalic acids. The pH and acidity of fruits influence their sensory qualities (Adi et al., 2019).
The parameters of pH, SST, and reducing sugars, which were related to the ripening stage of bananas, affected the GBB (p ≤ 0.05) based on the banana cultivar used (Table 1). Values expressed as mg gallic acid equivalent per gram of dry sample (mg GAE/g of dry sample); L*: brightness, a*: variation in color from green (-a*) to red (+ a*), b*: Variation in color from blue (-b*) to yellow (+ b*), C*: Degree of color saturation. Source: Authors (2022).
The low content of reducing sugars presented in the GBBs is attributed to the fact that during the initial stages of maturation in the green banana, there is almost no degradation of starch to reducing sugars by enzymatic processes in its pulp.
This process occurs as the banana ripens, reducing the amount of starch and increasing simple sugars with a sweet taste, such as sucrose, glucose, and fructose (Mohan et al., 2014). The GBB 'Fhia 01' (Table 1) had a lower content of reducing sugars (p ≤ 0.05) and these values were similar to those determined by Salih et al. (2017) in green banana pulp (Musa Cavendish) with 3.21% reducing sugars.
The types of banana cultivars (p ≤ 0.05) influenced and affected the content of moisture, protein, starch, and TEV in GBB (Table 1). The nutrient content can also vary according to the pre-and post-harvest treatment of the fruit and the climatic variations of the environment in which they were grown. Research, Society andDevelopment, v. 11, n. 3, e2711326204, 2022 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i3.26204 6 The highest level of vitamin C was observed (p ≤ 0.05) in GBB 'BRS Platina', followed by that in GBB 'Fhia 18' and 'Fhia 01' (Table 1). These contents were lower than those reported by Riquette et al. (2019), who obtained values of 23.10-54.40 mg/100 g in GBB (Musa Cavendish) with different cooking times.
Phenolic compounds confer several health benefits owing to their antioxidant activity, slowing the premature aging of cells and tissues, and reducing the development of cancer (Singh et al., 2016). GBB 'BRS Platina' had the highest content of phenolic compounds (Table 4), but lower than 189.90 to 334.40 mg of GAE / 100 g in GBB (Musa Cavendish) as reported by Riquette et al. (2019).
Minerals are essential nutrients for the proper functioning of organism and maintenance of human health; some of them are also necessary for body structure formation and maintenance, thus making their adequate nutritional intake necessary (Hazell, 1985). The mineral content analysis showed that none of the GBBs supplied the recommended daily intake requirements for children and adults indicated by the Institute of Medicine (2001) and RDC 269 of ANVISA (Brazil, 2005).
Color is one of the main attributes for measuring food quality and is a fundamental aspect of its appearance, which influences its acceptance for consumption, indicating its level of freshness, quality, and expectations regarding its flavor (Fradique et al., 2010).
The values for parameter b* were different among the three GBBs used in the present study (p ≤ 0.05) (Table 5), similar to the observations by Anyasi et al. (2015) in green banana flour (9.36-18.80). The GBB of 'BRS Platina' and 'Fhia 18' showed a greater tendency to yellowish color compared to the GBB of 'Fhia 01', where the latter showed a value similar to that found by Savlak et al. (2016) (11.81-13.47) in green banana flours.

Cooking test of green banana biomasses gnocchi
The cooking time (CT) differed significantly only regarding the gnocchi of 'BRS Platina' cultivar (p ≤ 0.05) (Table 2), in which was observed a higher CT for the gnocchi from 'Fhia 18' GBB (Table 2). This parameter is associated with the cohesion of pasta product during the cooking process, in which, the CT of GBB gnocchi were lower than that reported by Silva, Rossini, & Carvalho (2016), who obtained 175 seconds for cooking of gnocchi from sweet potato orange-colored pulp.  LSS represents the main attribute of pasta quality, wherein values less than 6% are considered good results, values up to 8% are considered normal, and values greater than 10% are considered low-quality because of the great exudation of starch, generating high turbidity in cooking water (Hummel, 1966).

Conclusion
Considering the above results, parameters related to the banana ripening stage (pH, TSS, and reducing sugars), moisture, proteins, total starch, TEV, vitamin C, and total phenolics in green banana biomass were affected by the different green banana cultivars used. Pasta enriched with GBB exhibited good cooking quality (cooking time, weight and volume increase, and loss of soluble solids). Furthermore, the application of green banana biomass as an ingredient can increase the nutritional value and quality of cooking in different pastas, making them healthier and catering to the growing consumer market in search of less processed and healthier products.
In addition, future studies are suggested regarding the application of BBV in other types of food products, their nutritional and functional impacts, as well as their microbiological stability and sensory acceptance, verifying the purchase intention of these new products if they are available for sale in the markets.