Characteristics of components associated with the flavor and taste of bananas cultivated in high-altitude region

• Published in: Nihon Shokuhin Kagaku Kōgaku kaishi Vol. 52; no. 10
• Main Authors: Suzuno, H.(Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture (Japan). Agricultural Junior Coll.), Ishida, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: 01.01.2005
• Subjects: ACIDE ORGANIQUE; ACIDOS ORGANICOS; ALMIDON; ALTITUD; ALTITUDE; AMIDON; AZUCAR; BANANAS; BANANE; BANANO; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; COMPOSICION QUIMICA; COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE; CULTIVATION; CULTIVO; ESTER; ESTERES; ESTERS; FLAVEUR; FLAVOUR; GUSTO (SENTIDO); ORGANIC ACIDS; PRATIQUE CULTURALE; SABOR; SENS DU GOUT; STARCH; SUCRE; SUGAR; TASTE (SENSATION)
• ISSN: 1341-027X
• DOI: 10.3136/nskkk.52.479

This study was performed to clarify the component characteristics of bananas cultivated in a high-altitude region. After bananas cultivated in the 3 different altitude (high : 1000 m, middle : 500m, low : 0-20 m) were ripened at 20 deg C, chemical components associated with flavor and taste were compared at 3 ripening stages. Water contents of bananas cultivated in the high- and middle-altitude regions were lower than those in the low-altitude region. Starch contents of the bananas in the high-altitude region were the lowest among those in the 3 regions at a respective full-ripe stage. Sugar contents, sugar/acid ratio and isoamyl-acetate contents of bananas in the high- and middle-altitude regions rapidly increased until the optimum edible stage from early ripe stage, comparing with those of bananas in the low-altitude region. Particularly, the marked increases of sugar/acid ratio and isoamyl-acetate contents of the high-altitude region bananas were observed as compared with those of the other 2 regions. From these results, it was found that sweetness and flavor of bananas in the high-altitude region are stronger at the optimum edible condition than those of normal bananas in the low-altitude region.