Utilization of pregelatinized banana flour as a functional ingredient in instant porridge

Unripe bananas flour, an excellent source of resistant starch (RS) and antioxidants, was applied to prepare a functional instant porridge. This study aimed to substitute pregelatinized unripe banana flour (PBF) for brown rice in instant porridge and to evaluate the effect of PBF on the physicochemical properties, RS content, antioxidant activities, and consumer acceptability of the instant porridge. The pregelatinized brown rice flour (BRF) was replaced by PBF at seven different levels: 0 %, 50 %, 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 % and 100 % (w/w). The influence of PBF on the quality of the finished instant porridge was evaluated through its chemical compositions, physical property, RS content, antioxidant activity, and sensorial property (7-point hedonic scale). The substitution of PBF for BRF significantly improved the level of RS, dietary fiber, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic contents of the porridge. The PBF also enhanced the ratio of rehydration, whilst the whiteness index of the product was decreased with the increasing PBF levels. For sensorial evaluation, the instant porridges with a degree of substitution as high as 80 % still had comparable scores to those of a commercial instant porridge. Therefore, PBF could be applied to replace brown rice flour up to 80 % to produce an acceptable functional instant porridge.