Differences among Spanish and Latin-American banana cultivars: morphological, chemical and sensory characteristics

Physical (weight, size, shape, texture and colour), physicochemical (pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, moisture content, total solids), chemical (soluble sugars, vitamin C, starch, pectic substances, volatile compounds) and biochemical (polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities, soluble proteins) characteristics and sensory attributes (appearance, flavour, odour, colour, firmness, acceptability) of banana (Musa cavendishii L.) fruits were studied in order to assess possible differences between nutritional properties and consumer acceptability of the local (Canarian) cultivars Enana and Gran Enana and the Latin-American (Colombian) Enana cultivar. Significant differences (P ≤ 0·05) were found between size and length of fruit, and between other objective measurements (lightness, yellowness, acidity, moisture content, starch, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities, soluble sugars—sucrose, fructose, glucose). Also there were significant differences in vitamin C and protein content which established the higher nutritional value of the Spanish banana cultivars. The main compositional differences between the banana cultivars in terms of flavour were quantified. Purge and trap (head-space) analysis of the Spanish Enana cultivar showed it was the richest in the characteristic banana volatile aroma compounds. Sensory descriptive analysis discriminated between banana cultivars in terms of flesh colour and flesh sweetness; although panellists liked all cultivars, they preferred the Spanish Enana fruits (overall acceptability test).