The flour and starch isolated from plantain bananas (cultivar
“Terra”) seem to be very promising materials for the formulation of
coatings and films. However, the flour is a much more interesting
raw because it can be cheaper to obtain than commercial starches.
This is due to the fact that flour production process is simpler and
more efficient. The banana flour film prepared here is less
mechanically resistant but more flexible than the banana starch
film. Both films have low solubility inwater and similarwater vapor
permeability. The flour film presents a discontinuous microstructure
that is rougher and more porous, as compared to the starch
film, which is more compact. The FTIR spectra revealed the presence
of OH, CH2, and amide III groups in both films, while the amide
I group was observed only for the flour film. Both plantain banana
films display a C-type X-ray pattern and one glass transition
temperature (Tg) each. The presence of other components in the
banana flour (protein, lipids, and fiber) influence the properties of
the resulting film.