A study on preparation and quality assessment of fermented banana blossom (Musa Acuminate Colla)

Abstract

Probiotic foods are the fastest-growing functional foods due to their health-related benefits. Fermented vegetable products are packed with dietary fibre, gut-friendly microorganisms, micronutrients, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Sauerkraut is a well-known probiotic fermented superfood that was originally made from cabbage but not well received by the Indian population. Banana Blossom (Musa acuminata Colla), a by-product of banana cultivation, is popular in Southeast Asian countries. Banana Blossom is easily accessible and affordable to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds in southern India. The main objective of this research was to formulate an indigenous, low-cost, probiotic-rich naturally fermented product similar to sauerkraut using banana blossom and to evaluate its various qualitative aspects. The procured Banana Blossom was cleaned, placed in a pre-sterilized glass jar with the addition of lemon juice and rock salt, and fermented at 40 °C for 7 days. Following fermentation, the fermented banana blossom was evaluated for its physiochemical properties, proximate composition, functional properties, and microbial enumeration. On overall examination, the fermented banana blossom was found to possess an appreciable protein probiotic count (7.8×106 CFU/g), low in sodium (1918 ± 3.60 mg), had a desirable amount of dietary fibre (1.16 ± 0.01 g) and protein (3.09 ± 0.57 g). Therefore, it can be inferred from the current research findings that the raw banana blossom can be effectively utilized as a potential raw ingredient to formulate fermented products with significant health benefits.