Extraction of aromatic compounds from silver banana peel (Musa sapientum): qualitative and sensory approach

Abstract

Silver banana (Musa sapientum) is one of the most consumed fruits in Brazil, and the country is its fourth largest producer in the world. The use of banana peel as a raw material in the industry can help in the production of natural aromas containing substances that resemble the fruit itself, and is therefore a valuable destination to be given to an organic waste that is generated in abundance. To make this application feasible, the extraction of aromatic substances from the peel of silver banana by isopropanol was tested in this work. Analyzes were performed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, aiming to characterize both the peel extract obtained experimentally and a commercial banana aroma available on the market. The analysis of the extracts showed that several substances associated with the banana aroma were extracted, at variable proportions, indicating that the extraction technique with isopropanol was effective in obtaining aromatic compounds relevant to the banana aroma from its peel. In turn, the comparison between the composition of the extract obtained from the banana peel and the commercial aroma of this fruit indicated the presence of an important aromatic compound in common: isoamyl acetate, which has a sweet and fruity sensory descriptor, with banana and pear characteristics. The recovery of this compound, which is already widely used in the flavor industry, confirmed the potential of the application of simple solvent extraction technology in this industrial sector, enabling the reuse of banana waste.