Saledo and TNO recently partnered in a TKI-funded project to explore innovative fiber-rich products and their potential to modulate the gut microbiome. Saledo contributed three unique ingredients derived from bananas typically rejected by supermarkets for cosmetic imperfections: green banana flour, green banana peel powder, and banana tree fiber. These ingredients were evaluated using TNO’s advanced i-screen platform, which simulates the human colon microbiome using samples from up to ten individual donors.
Among the three, green banana flour showed the most pronounced microbiome-modulating effects. It significantly increased the abundance of beneficial bacterial species such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Eubacterium eligens,Eubacterium rectale, Roseburia spp., and Bifidobacterium spp.—all known producers of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). This microbial shift was confirmed by SCFA analysis, which revealed a consistent increase in total SCFA production across all donors, with notably higher butyrate levels in most cases.
In addition to boosting SCFA production, green banana flour enhanced bacterial diversity—a key indicator of a healthy gut ecosystem. Interestingly, it promoted SCFA production to a similar extent as well-known dietary fibers like inulin and pectin. However, unlike inulin and pectin, which often favor specific bacterial strains and may reduce overall diversity, green banana flour supported a broader range of microbial growth. This effect may be attributed to its complex composition, which includes various types of fibers and carbohydrates.
Such compositional diversity could offer a significant advantage over single-compound dietary fibers commonly used in supplements. These promising findings highlight the potential of green banana-derived products to positively influence the gut microbiota and, by extension, support gastrointestinal health.