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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of postharvest treatment of plantain (Musa paradisiaca) with aloe vera gel coating on phenolic content, antioxidant and zinc bioavailability of plantain flour. The plantains were divided into three parts of ten fingers each. The first part was uncoated which served as the control, the second part was coated with 50% aloe vera gel solution while the third part was coated with 100% aloe vera gel solution of which the coated samples were allowed to air dry and all stored at room temperature (30oC±1oC) for 5 days. The total phenolic content of the flour of freshly harvested plantain was found to be 4.35 μg GAE/g, it decreased significantly (P ? 0.05) in stored untreated plantain to 2.96 μg GAE/g while the total phenolic content of the flour of stored 100% aloe vera treated plantain (4.18 μg GAE/g) was not significantly (P ? 0.05) different from that of the freshly harvested plantain. The flour of stored 100% aloe vera treated plantain had a significantly (P ? 0.05) higher DPPH scavenging ability, metal chelating ability and reducing power than that of the flour of stored 50% aloe vera treated and untreated plantain at the tested concentrations but not significantly (P ? 0.05) different from that of the flour of freshly harvested plantain. The calculated [Ca][Phytate]/[Zn] molar ratios of the flour of the treated and untreated stored plantain were below the critical levels. These results indicated that treating plantain with 100% aloe vera solution prior to storage will preserve its phenolic, antioxidant qualities and zinc bioavailability.
Keywords: Plantain flour, Aloe vera, phenolic, DPPH scavenging activity, Reducing power