Abstract
To clarify the differences in nutritional components among various dessert banana cultivars consumed in Japan, we determined the sugar content, titratable acidity, citric acid content, and levels of α- and β-carotene in ripe fruit for the cultivars Cavendish (CA) , Senorita (SE) and Lakatan (LA) . Samples were collected once a month throughout the experimental period. The sugar content of LA and SE was significantly higher than that of CA (SE, 25.4±0.7 Brix %; LA, 23.7±1.2 Brix %; CA, 20.3±1.1 Brix %, respectively) . Titratable acidity and citric acid content of LA were significantly higher than those of CA. The α-carotene levels in CA, LA and SE were 26±8 μg/100 g, 167±62 μg/100 g and 108±10 μg/100 g, respectively, whereas the corresponding β-carotene levels were 26±6 μg/100 g, 236±53 μg/100 g and 205±22 μg/100 g, respectively. The levels of both α- and β-carotene in LA and SE were significantly higher than those in CA. The levels of α- and β- carotene in LA tended to decrease in April and June, and to increase in August and September, although the differences between monthly levels were not significant.
