Mixed Green Banana ( spp.) Pulp and Peel Flour Reduced Body Weight Gain and Adiposity and Improved Lipid Profile and Intestinal Morphology in Rats.

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the production of ingredients rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants, such as green banana flours. This study evaluated the effect of consumption of mixed green banana pulp (PF) and peel (PeF) flours on the body weight gain, adiposity, lipid profile, and intestinal morphology of rats. Male young rats were divided into four groups (n = 8) that received a standard diet (SD), or one of the following three test diets: M1 (SD + 90% PF/10% PeF), M2 (SD + 80% PF/20% PeF), or P (SD + 100% PF) for 28 days. Rats from M1, M2, and P groups showed reduced body weight gain and adiposity and had lower contents of total cholesterol, LDL-c, VLDL-c, and triglycerides. Animals from M1 and M2 groups had an increase in cecum weight, fecal moisture, acetic acid concentration, and crypt depth and reduced fecal pH. Moreover, consumption of the M1, M2, and P diets increased the expression of proteins involved in intestinal functionality. Significant negative correlations were observed between consumption of resistant starch and soluble dietary fiber, from the flours, and weight gain (r = -0.538 and r = -0.538, respectively), body adiposity (r = -0.780 and r = -0.767, respectively), total cholesterol (r = -0.789 and r = -0.800, respectively), and triglycerides (r = -0.790 and r = -0.786, respectively). Mixed green banana pulp and peel flour proved to be a viable alternative as a food ingredient that can promote weight loss, improve lipid profile and intestinal morphology, and minimize post-harvest losses.