Musa spp. (banana) is consumed globally as a healthy fruit and improves the immune system. Banana blossoms are a by-product of banana harvesting rich in active substances such as polysaccharides and phenolic compounds; however, these blossoms are typically discarded as waste. In this report, a polysaccharide, MSBP11, was extracted, purified and identified from banana blossoms. MSBP11 is a neutral homogeneous polysaccharide with a molecular mass of ∼214.43 kDa and composed of arabinose and galactose at a ratio of 0.303:0.697. MSBP11 exhibited potent antioxidant and anti-glycation activities in a dose-dependent manner and can be used as a potential natural antioxidant and inhibitor of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs). In addition, banana blossoms have been shown to decrease the levels of AGEs in chocolate brownies, which might possibly be developed as functional foods for diabetic patients. This study provides a scientific basis to further research the potential application of banana blossoms in functional foods.
Banana blossoms, a natural and sustainable source, were successfully prepared to produce carbon dots (BB-CDs) with promising anti-glycation properties. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), implicated in various degenerative diseases, were significantly reduced in food models fortified with the BB-CDs. Spherical in shape and measuring 2.06 nm, the BB-CDs possessed a rich surface chemistry, brimming with hydrophilic and reactive functional groups. The multi-stage kinetic analysis results revealed that BB-CDs inhibited the formation and accumulation of AGEs by reducing the conversion of reaction substrates to intermediates and intermediates into end products, while simultaneously enhancing the degradation of end products. In practical application, sponge cakes fortified with 2.5 g/100 g BB-CDs exhibited marked reductions in AGEs, including N ε -carboxymethyllysine and N ε -carboxyethyllysine, by over 40%, both in free and protein-bound forms. Concurrently, BB-CDs improved the moisture retention and texture of sponge cakes, softening their structure. These findings demonstrate that BB-CDs is a novel exogenous inhibitor of AGEs, which can be applied to mitigate the production of harmful substances during thermal processing of food.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the potential of banana blossom polyphenols as antioxidants and antifungal agents. However, their application in the food field is extremely limited due to their vulnerability to environmental conditions. This study aims to increase the stability of banana blossom polyphenols and explore their potential in food preservation, particularly against fungal infections. To achieve this, β-lactoglobulin@ferulic acid-quercetin-vanillic acid nanoparticles ( N -β-LG@FA-QT-VA) with a particle size of 74.5–80.7 nm were successfully obtained using β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) as the encapsulating material, combined with protein heating modification and emulsification-evaporation techniques. The encapsulation process resulted in a significant increase in antioxidant activity, with an improvement of 42.3% over the free polyphenols. Furthermore, N -β-LG@FA-QT-VA nanoparticles displayed significantly higher antifungal activity and fruit preservation abilities compared to β-LG and FA-QT-VA mixtures. They effectively inhibited the germination and expansion of Penicillium digitatum , a common fruit pathogen. Applying this knowledge, these nanoparticles were tested on orange fruits inoculated with P. digitatum . A successful delay in green mold infection and decay was observed, demonstrating the potential of N -β-LG@FA-QT-VA nanoparticles as a natural alternative to synthetic fungicides, all while maintaining fruit quality.
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）