Physicochemical characteristics and resistant starch of different varieties of banana from Taiwan

Banana contains high levels of resistant starch (RSC), which resists digestion. Taiwan is a major producer of banana; however, little work has been reported on their specific characteristics. This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics and RSC of ripe and unripe Taiwanese bananas. The characteristics and RSC significantly differed between varieties and ripening stages. The hardness, L*, pH values, swelling power, total starch, and amylose contents of unripe bananas were significantly higher than ripe bananas, while the starch content depended on the variety and ripening stage. Therefore, Taiwanese bananas could be useful RS source for manufacturing functional foods.