Banana is a tropical fruit crop that is consumed at large, not only because of the quantity produced but also because it serves the calorific needs of millions of people. Banana is a potential source of high starch content (more than 60%). The application of starch for various purposes is dependent upon its structural, physicochemical, and functional properties. A native starch does not possess all required properties for specific use in the food product. To improve its application, starch can be modified physically, chemically, and enzymatically. Each of these modification methods provides different characteristics to the modified starch. This review aims to examine the chemical composition, granule morphology, crystallinity, pasting, thermal properties, and digestibility of banana starch, and discusses the various modifications and potential applications of banana starch in the food industry.

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/15/3092/pdf?version=1659408585

The Properties, Modification, and Application of Banana Starch

Abstract Uncontrolled waste generation and management difficulties are causing chaos in the ecosystem. Although it is vital to ease environmental pressures, right now there is no such practical strategy available for the treatment or utilisation of waste material. Because the Earth's resources are limited, a long‐term, sustainable, and sensible solution is necessary. Currently waste material has drawn a lot of attention as a renewable resource. Utilisation of residual biomass leftovers appears as a green and sustainable approach to lessen the waste burden on Earth while meeting the demand for bio‐based goods. Several biopolymers are available from renewable waste sources that have the potential to be used in a variety of industries for a wide range of applications. Natural and synthetic biopolymers have significant advantages over petroleum‐based polymers in terms of cost‐effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and user‐friendliness. Using waste as a raw material through industrial symbiosis should be taken into account as one of the strategies to achieve more economic and environmental value through inter‐firm collaboration on the path to a near‐zero waste society. This review extensively explores the different biopolymers which can be extracted from several waste material sources and that further have potential applications in food packaging industries to enhance the shelf life of perishables. This review‐based study also provides key insights into the different strategies and techniques that have been developed recently to extract biopolymers from different waste byproducts and their feasibility in practical applications for the food packaging business.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1049/nbt2.12122

Recent trends in nanocomposite packaging films utilising waste generated biopolymers: Industrial symbiosis and its implication in sustainability

In this study, biodegradable starch film was developed from pineapple stem waste as a substitute for non-biodegradable petroleum-based films for single-use applications where strength is not too demanding. High amylose starch from a pineapple stem was used as the matrix. Glycerol and citric acid were used as additives to adjust the ductility of the material. Glycerol content was fixed at 25% while that of citric acid varied from 0 to 15% by weight of starch. Films with a wide range of mechanical properties can be prepared. As more citric acid is added, the film becomes softer and weaker, and has greater elongation at the break. Properties range from a strength of about 21.5 MPa and 2.9% elongation to a strength of about 6.8 MPa and 35.7% elongation. An X-ray diffraction study showed that the films were semi-crystalline. The films were also found to be water-resistant and can be heat-sealed. An example of a single-use package was demonstrated. A soil burial test confirmed that the material was biodegradable and completely disintegrated into sizes smaller than 1 mm within one month.

/pdf/toward-a-circular-bioeconomy-exploring-pineapple-stem-starch-1xf7u8jd.pdf

Toward a Circular Bioeconomy: Exploring Pineapple Stem Starch Film as a Plastic Substitute in Single Use Applications

The current transition to sustainability and the circular economy can be viewed as a socio-technical response to environmental impacts and the need to enhance the overall performance of the linear production and consumption paradigm. The concept of biowaste refineries as a feasible alternative to petroleum refineries has gained popularity. Biowaste has become an important raw material source for developing bioproducts and biofuels. Therefore, effective environmental biowaste management systems for the production of bioproducts and biofuels are crucial and can be employed as pillars of a circular economy. Bioplastics, typically plastics manufactured from bio-based polymers, stand to contribute to more sustainable commercial plastic life cycles as part of a circular economy in which virgin polymers are made from renewable or recycled raw materials. Various frameworks and strategies are utilized to model and illustrate additional patterns in fossil fuel and bioplastic feedstock prices for various governments' long-term policies. This review paper highlights the harmful impacts of fossil-based plastic on the environment and human health, as well as the mass need for eco-friendly alternatives such as biodegradable bioplastics. Utilizing new types of bioplastics derived from renewable resources (e.g., biowastes, agricultural wastes, or microalgae) and choosing the appropriate end-of-life option (e.g., anaerobic digestion) may be the right direction to ensure the sustainability of bioplastic production. Clear regulation and financial incentives are still required to scale from niche polymers to large-scale bioplastic market applications with a truly sustainable impact. 

Bioplastic production in terms of life cycle assessment: A state-of-the-art review

Development of Starch-Based Films Reinforced with Coffee Husks for Packaging Applications

Banana inflorescence waste fiber: An effective filler for starch-based bioplastics

Background: Banana inflorescence is one of the edible parts of banana. It is well-known to have antioxidants and anti-diabetic potential health benefits. Methods: In this study, the banana inflorescence from Musa (ABB group) Namwa Mali-Ong was prepared using ethanol extraction and investigated for its biochemical compositions and biological activities. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical scavenging activity assays were performed. The phytochemical composition of the extract was analyzed using the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHLC-ESI-QTOF/MS) technique. Additionally, the ability of the extract to stimulate glucose in C2C12 myotube was investigated. Results: The ethanolic extract of banana inflorescence contained carbohydrate, protein, phenolic, and flavonoid compounds. The results show that the extract exhibited low-level antioxidant activities.  For example, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) in the DPPH and ABTS assays was at 27.89 ± 0.054 and 21.33 ± 0.87 mg/mL, respectively. Although the extract possesses low-level antioxidant activities, it stimulated glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Consistently, the UHLC-ESI-QTOF/MS analysis in both positive and negative electrospray ionization modes reveals several components in the extract such as phytosphingosine and α-linolenic acid that have previously been shown to exhibit an anti-diabetic activity.Conclusion: The results show that the inflorescence ethanolic extract possesses antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities and may potentially be developed into a health-promoting product such as an anti-diabetic drug. Keywords: antioxidant activity; banana inflorescence; glucose uptake; anti-diabetic; C2C12 myotubes

https://ffhdj.com/index.php/ffhd/article/download/909/1599

Piyapat Aiemcharoen

Papers

Banana inflorescence waste fiber: An effective filler for starch-based bioplastics

Antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities of crude ethanolic extract from the banana inflorescence of musa (ABB group) namwa maliong