The potency of a novel fermented unripe banana powder as a functional immunostimulatory food ingredient

Abstract

A large quantity of imported unripe green banana of low quality is discarded, resulting in substantial waste of cropped resources. A novel banana powder (Banafine®) from unripe Cavendish bananas was formulated by α-amylase and protease treatments followed by yeast fermentation. Banafine® has a substantially improved taste as the bitter and astringent taste of unripe green banana was eliminated. Pertinently, Banafine® stimulated production of IFN-ɣ and TNF-α in cultured macrophages and improved phagocytosis. An in vivo study in a murine model showed that Banafine® stimulates cytokine production in splenocytes. Moreover, Banafine® fed mice were less affected by influenza A virus infection and exhibited better recovery rates compared to control mice. Further, an active fraction of Banafine® was partially purified followed by size-exclusion chromatography, obtain a 70 kDa macromolecule. This study unveiled the potential usage of unripe green banana as a functional food ingredient, which is valuable for sustainable agriculture.