Abstract: Objective: To investigate changes in starch and mineral contents of the pulp of two new Plantain (Musa spp. AAB) cultivars resistant to Fusarium wilt, ‘Meishijiao 1 and 2’, during postharvest ripening and to compare them with those of the Cavendish banana cultivar (Musa spp. AAA) ‘Zhongjiao 8’. Methods: The maturity evaluation was carried out using a colorimeter with colorimetric cards, the physical properties of starch were studied by measurement of resistant starch content and optical microscopic observation, and mineral contents were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Results: For freshly harvested fruit, resistance starch accounted for 74.99% and 75.23% of the total starch in ‘Meishijiao 1 and 2’, respectively, which were approximately 26% higher than that in ‘Zhongjiao 8’ (48.64%); during the ripening process, a significant decrease in total starch and resistant starch contents was observed for all three varieties. Starch granules were oblong in the two Plantain cultivars, whereas irregular starch granules were observed in ‘Zhongjiao 8’. The number of starch granules in the flour of the three varieties decreased gradually during ripening. After ripening, the pulp firmness of the Plantain cultivars was greater than that of ‘Zhongjiao 8’, and anthracnose spots in Plantain peel appeared relatively late. The potassium content in the pulp of ‘Zhongjiao 8’ was significantly higher than that of the Plantain cultivars; however, the pulp of Plantain could retain more potassium during ripening. Conclusion: Plantain is promising for deep processing and the development of healthy foods.

Key words: banana; Plantain; varietal difference; resistant starch; minerals; postharvest ripening