| dc.description | The generic name of Musa is gotten from the Arabic word "mouz". Bananas were known
to the Early Arabs and show up in the Holy Quran as the "Tree of Paradise". The most
punctual 'logical' grouping of bananas was made by Linnaeus in 1783. He gave the name
Musa sapientium to all dessert bananas which are sweet when ready and which are eaten
new.
The word “Banana” is a general term embracing a number of species or hybrids in the
Musa of the family Musaceae. Bananas and plantains (cultivars of banana having firmer
and starchier fruit) are grown today in every humid tropical region and constitute the
second largest fruit crop following the citrus fruits of the world (Haque, 2008). Due to its
perishable nature, the banana cannot be preserved more than 7 days at room temperature
(20ºC) from the initiation of ripening (Farid, 2003). About one-fifth of the harvested
bananas is spoiled or rejected (Choo, 2007). In order to increase the utilization of culled
banana, some researchers have suggested converting the green banana into flour and
starch (Suntharalingam and Ravindran, 1993). | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Banana a common fruit in Bangladesh which is available throughout the year and its
consumption rate is also higher than that of any other fruits in Bangladesh. The study
was conducted to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of selected varieties of
banana such as amritsagar, sabri, and atia available in the Dinajpur district. Each value
represents the average of three replications. The physicochemical properties studied
included moisture, pH, titrable acidity, total sugar and total soluble solids with the value
ranges of 70.87-79.98%, 5.85-6.25, 0.24-0.46%, 13.81-18.23% and 17.92-19.10 ºBrix
respectively. The maximum moisture (79.98%) was found in Amritsagar having the
highest value of pH (6.25). Alternatively, Atia kola had a higher value of total sugar
(18.23%) and total soluble solids (19.10 ºBrix). Titrable acidity content was found in a
lower amount to all. The chemical composition of different varieties of banana showed
protein, fat, ash, fiber, β-carotene, and vitamin A with a value of 1.08-1.43%, 0.34-
1.04%, 0.28-0.44%, 1.04-2.28%, 0.017-0.025 mg/100g, and 0.029-0.041 mg/100g
respectively. Amritsagar cultivar contained the highest amount of protein (1.43%) and
ash (0.44%). Atia kola contains a higher amount of fat (1.04%) and fiber (2.28%) but had
a lower protein content (1.08%). The β-carotene and vitamin A content were excellent in
Atia kola. The mineral compositions were studied included calcium, magnesium,
phosphorus, and potassium with the range of 12.02-19.77 mg/100g, 29.73-39.21
mg/100g, 19.52-37.00 mg/100g, and 227.30-278.20 mg/100g respectively. The calcium
(19.77 mg/100g), magnesium (39.21 mg/100g), phosphorus (37.00 mg/100g), and
potassium (278.20 mg/100g) contents were higher but the other compositions were found
in average amount in Sabri kola. The overall assessment of the experiment, sabri kola
contained a good source of all nutrients. As a conclusion, the tropical fruits could be
possibly utilized in mitigating micronutrients difficency particularly for the rural people
as a potent source of natural antioxidants. | en_US |
