Physicochemical Characteristics of Vinegar from Banana Peels and Commercial Vinegars before and after In Vitro Digestion

Abstract

Vinegar is a fermented food with a diversity of uses seasoning, salad dressing and flavouring for foods. Since ancient times it is considered a remedy for health and today there are different types of vinegar on the market, and many others are under development. Determination of the physicochemical characteristics of the new types of vinegar is necessary in order to improve them. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to compare the physicochemical characteristics of vinegar obtained from banana peels (with or without boiling peels) at different ages, with those of commercial vinegars. The vinegar from banana peels was obtained and aged in our laboratory, while the commercial vinegars were purchased from a local market. The physicochemical characteristics of all the samples were investigated before and after gastric and intestinal digestion. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the mineral content of the vinegars. Additionally, statistical analysis of the results was performed by applying a one-way analysis of variance. Results showed that vinegar obtained from banana peels is clearer and total dry extract values are lower than those of commercial vinegars. Banana peel vinegars have higher antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content similar to the commercial balsamic vinegars. This study advances the knowledge in the field of vinegar production by using raw agricultural by-products.