Physico-Chemical, Biochemical and Sensory Characteristics of Berangan and Mas Banana (Musa sapientum) Cultivars and Their Suitability for Value Added Processing

Berangan and Mas revealed significant differences (p<0.05) for pH, TA, TSS, total solid, moisture contents and luminosity (L-value). No significant difference (p<0.05) was found between the two cultivars for total sugars, vitamin C, tannins, total carotenoids, citric and tartaric acid, which can affect their suitability for value added processing. However Berangan cultivar was found more suitable in this respect particularly for juice processing because of its biochemical characteristics i.e. lower peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activity and soluble protein concentration, which are responsible for developing browning in fruit tissues and also ultimately in the juice. Also the sensory evaluation results showed preference for Berangan cultivar in terms of better taste intensity, colour and overall acceptability as compared to Mas cultivar. Biochemical and sensory results revealed Berangan as better cultivar for its suitability for value added processing as compared to Mas.