Applications of Green Banana Flour as a Functional Food Ingredient: A Review

Banana is an edible, nutritive fruit in the genus Musa and is consumed in fresh or processed forms. As a sustainable solution for postharvest losses of banana, Green banana flour (GBF) manufacturing has been developed in many banana growing countries and is claimed as a rich source of slowly digestible starch, resistant starch, phenolic compounds and dietary fiber. GBF is a gluten-free alternative for wheat-based products and is used in a variety of food applications. Since functional food application is one of the most intensively and widely promoted areas in the food industry, many studies have been accomplished to investigate the health benefits of GBF incorporated products. Previous research findings have shown that the health benefits of GBF are related to gastrointestinal and non- communicable diseases. In comparison to the products made with 100% of wheat flour, these products have positive effects in digestibility, human health, and biological functions namely stimulation of gut health, immunostimulatory effect, and prebiotic effect. However, not all the GBF-based products developed for functional properties were supported by solid scientific evidence to verify such claims. Therefore, further clinical studies are required to investigate specifications related to varietal differences, standardized dosages, and age limits for GBF incorporated foods to provide a more detailed understanding of their potential health effects and to investigate the mechanisms thereof.