Foods from banana inflorescences and their antioxidant properties: An exploratory case in Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to categorize Thai foods made from banana inflorescences and determine their antioxidant properties. An extensive literature review as well as a field survey with unstructured in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the consumption of banana inflorescences as foods. Antioxidant properties were assessed by total phenolic compounds, FRAP and DPPH assays. Thai foods made from banana inflorescences may be classified into 6 groups namely 1) fresh or side dishes 2) salads 3) soups and curries 4) deep fried dishes 5) stir fired dishes and 6) commercially processed banana inflorescence products. Antioxidant properties of the selected 16 banana inflorescence food recipes varied depending on their types. Fried recipes such as crispy fried and stir-fried banana inflorescences are among the dishes that exhibited high antioxidant properties. In contrast, some salads, steamed recipes, and banana inflorescence herbal tea showed the least antioxidant properties. This study reported the antioxidant properties of banana inflorescences in the form of real foods which could represent the real antioxidant capacity of consuming banana inflorescence as foods. As banana is cultivated worldwide, the findings in this study could help in promoting the consumption of banana inflorescence byproduct as foods.