BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTENTS AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF WHOLE MUSA ACUMINATA (BANANA) PLANT Biological activities of Musa acuminata

Abstract

The banana serves as a natural store of various healths beneficial phytochemicals and exist significant differences in the phytochemical composition. Musa species (Musaceae) is a tropical plant, have been consumed by mankind for its nutritious and delicious fruits. Banana is one of the most widely distributed and consumed fruit in the tropical and subtropical countries. Considering the nutritional aspects, it is one of the world’s leading food crops with a great source of minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, flavonoids, phenolic compounds etc. It is economical and easily accessible to peoples. It can be consumed both as cooked and uncooked form. Banana serves as a low cost food source for developing countries where most of the populations rely mostly on bananas for food. Banana plant parts are useful as insecticide, metal chelating power, reducing power, antioxidant, colour absorber, in preparation of various functional foods, wine, alcohol, biogas, cattle feed etc. Musa species have been reported to have various biological activities like antiulcerogenie, antidiabetic, antiatherogenic, antidiarrheic, antitumoral, antimutagenic, migraine, hypertension, cholesterol and hiperoxalury. In this review discusses about usefulness of banana fruits, peel, leaves, pseudostem, sheath, pith and male bud, and use in industry and their biological activities.