Abstract
Macro and micronutrients are essential minerals for the development of living beings, and this separation is given in quantitative reason, that is, while macronutrients, such as potassium and calcium, are required in larger amounts, micronutrients such as iron and zinc, are required in small quantities. For humans, potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient. In the human body, potassium has the function of regulating osmotic pressure, transmitting nerve impulses and carrying out muscle contraction. Its existence is found in high concentration in bananas. The heart banana plant is a little-known part among the by-products generated by banana cultivation, and is commonly discarded in the soil in order to increase its organic content, due to its high content of minerals such as potassium, calcium and zinc. Thus, this research work aimed to explore the nutritional potential of unconventional parts of banana for human consumption, through Energy Dispersion X-Ray Fluorescence technique, with which it is possible to identify and quantify the main constituent elements. The species were studied Musa Acuminata 'Dwarf/Cavendish', Musa Acuminata x M. Balbisiana 'Apple/Manzano', Musa Ornata 'Ornamental' and Musa Acuminata 'Fig'. The quantity of potassium and of other elements such as Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Rb in the banana heart samples were studied superior to the findings in the literature.
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