FLOR DE BANANEIRA: RESÍDUO OU UM ALIMENTO COM ALTOS BENEFÍCIOS NUTRICIONAIS
FLOR DE BANANEIRA: RESÍDUO OU UM ALIMENTO COM ALTOS BENEFÍCIOS NUTRICIONAIS
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DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.80823171013
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Palavras-chave: Flor da bananeira; Inflorescência da bananeira; PANCs.
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Keywords: Banana flower; inflorescence of the banana tree;
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Abstract: The search and the renewed interest in natural compounds with bioactive potential came up from recent research that seeks to better understand the relationship between health and food. In this regard, the banana flower emerges as a highly nutritious food, although still little-known. This Unconventional Food Plant (UFP) is also known as the heart of the banana or the navel of the banana tree, and it is an edible purple tassel that is at the e at the tip of the banana bunch. Therefore, the aim of this study was to gather evidences about the benefits of banana flower consumption, through a narrative review. It were researched studies published between 2010 and 2020 in the Scielo, Pubmed, Science Direct and Medline databases. The review pointed out the amount of fiber as the most evident property of the banana flower, in addition to its large amount of bioactive compounds, which can provide several benefits to human health. Many researches are being conducted aiming to investigate the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic properties. Although more quality studies are still needed to explore the beneficial effect on human health, banana flower is a potentially valuable option as a functional ingredient in food.
- Tamara Cristina Melz
- Rochele Cassanta Rossi