Journal of Advances in Food Science & Technology

The research was carried out to investigate the nutritional compositions and functional properties of the peel and pulp of green plantain. The different parts of unripe plantain (the peel and the pulp) were prepared and processed. This included unripe unpeeled boiled plantain flour (UUBPF), the unripe peeled boiled plantain flour (UPBPF), the unripe peeled plantain flour (UPPF) and unripe peeled unboiled plantain flour (UPUPF). The proximate composition (moisture content, crude protein, ash content, ether extract, crude fibre, dry matter, carbohydrate) was analyzed using the techniques of Association of Official Analytical Chemists and the functional properties (least gelation capacity LGC, water absorption capacity WAC, oil absorption capacity OAC, bulk density BD, swelling capacity SC) of the samples were evaluated. The findings indicated that ash content was highest in UPPF (9.25±0.07 %), followed by UUBPF (3.00±0.01 %), UPBPF (2.31±0.01 %) and UPUPF (2.19±0.01). UPPF exhibited the maximum percentage of crude fibre (4.78±0.04 %), with UPUPF (4.10±0.00 %), UPBPF (3.96±0.08 %) and UUBPF (3.48±0.03). The highest carbohydrate (CHO) was observed in UPBPF (870.8±0.01), while the least was found in UPPF (74.88±0.14). The study further revealed that the highest values for LGC, WAC, OAC, and BD were recorded in UUBPF (20.01±0.02), and UPBPF (2.79±0.01), UPBPF (1.81±0.00), UUBPF (0.83±0.00), respectively. The highest value for SC was recorded in UPUPF at 95 ^oC (512.3±0.07) while the least was observed in UPPF at 65^o C (134.1±0.09). The solubility properties of the samples revealed that the highest percentage was noted in UPPF at 75 ^oC (143.7±0.04) while the least was found in UUBPF at 95 ^oC (6.77±0.00). The results show that unripe plantain has the capacity to meet the nutritional requirements for human health, particularly when boiled with the skin.