Effects of banana blossom supplementation on the nutritional value, antioxidant activity, and sensory quality of fresh egg noodles

Abstract

Banana blossom is a nutrient-rich edible byproduct containing dietary fiber and bioactive compounds with potential health-promoting properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of banana blossom supplementation on the physicochemical properties, nutritional value, antioxidant activity, bioactive compounds, and sensory acceptance of fresh egg noodles. Egg noodles were supplemented with banana blossom at 25%, 50%, and 75%, and their color, water activity, texture, sensory attributes, nutritional composition, DPPH radical-scavenging activity, total polyphenol content, and total flavonoid content were evaluated. Nutritional values were calculated using the INMUCAL-Nutrients V.4 program, while antioxidant and bioactive compounds were determined before and after boiling. Increasing banana blossom supplementation reduced energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, sugar, cholesterol, and saturated fatty acid contents while increasing dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. Antioxidant activity, total polyphenol content, and total flavonoid content also increased significantly with banana blossom supplementation, although boiling reduced these values. Physicochemical analysis showed formulation-dependent changes in color and selected texture parameters, whereas most textural properties after boiling were not significantly affected by supplementation level. Sensory evaluation identified the 50% banana blossom formulation as the most acceptable, and subsequent consumer testing confirmed moderate-to-high acceptance. These findings demonstrate that banana blossom can be effectively incorporated into fresh egg noodles as a functional ingredient, with 50% supplementation providing a favorable balance between enhanced nutritional and antioxidant properties and consumer acceptability.