Antioxidant potential and bioactive compounds in banana peel: A review

Abstract

Fruits play a crucial role in the human diet, holding significant importance for nutrition and well-being. They can be ingested as part of religious practises and as nutritional treatment in various human cultures all over the world. Bananas (Musa) are non-grass, monocotyledonous, perennial plants famous for their delicious fruits. Their production provides food security and job possibilities in a variety of nations. Banana fruits are rich in phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, that offer positive effects on human nutrition. Following mango, the banana is India's second most important fruit crop. Its consistent presence throughout the year, low cost, broad variety of varietals, pleasant flavour, nutritional advantages, and therapeutic potential all contribute to its popularity among people of all backgrounds. Substantial waste is difficult to avoid following the harvest and during the processing stages of banana. Other plant or fruit pieces may be included in the trash, but the peel is crucial since it accounts for 35–50% of the total fruit mass. Banana peels find application as a culinary component, a facilitator of water purification, a precursor in the creation of numerous biochemical commodities, and a contributor to the generation of inorganic waste. Intriguingly, banana peels have been discovered to encompass a spectrum of bioactive constituents, most notably comprising flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, glycosides, anthocyanins, and terpenoids. These bioactive compounds imbue banana peels with a diverse array of beneficial attributes, encompassing antibacterial, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties, rendering them a subject of growing interest and exploration. Continued investigation into the nutritional potential and bioactive compound reservoirs within banana peels remains an indispensable pursuit in the ongoing quest to unlock their multifaceted benefits.