Metabolomic Profiling of Volatile and Non-Volatile Changes in Plantain (Musa spp.) Pulp under Thermal Processing

Plantains ( Musa spp.) are vital for food security and socio-economic development especially in West Africa and Latin America. Although thermal processing is widely practiced, its comparative effects on nutritional quality and bioactive metabolites remain poorly understood. Here, metabolomics was applied to assess the impacts of baking, air frying, steaming, and microwaving on plantain pulp, with raw plantain pulp serving as the control. Baking and steaming yielded golden-yellow pulp with superior carotenoid retention, air frying produced highest soluble solids concentration, and microwaving best preserved raw-like appearance. Across treatments, 51 volatile (including key aromatic- and flavor-associated metabolites such as isoamyl acetate and benzenemethanol) and 307 non-volatile metabolites were significantly modulated, with enrichment of beneficial metabolites (e.g., 5-hydroxytryptophan and N-acetylserotonin). Overall, these low-cost thermal processing improved nutritional quality, with steaming and baking emerging as the more effective, highlighting their potential for developing functional plantain-based products and supporting precision nutrition strategies in tropical regions of West Africa and Latin America.