1,4 Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, Karnataka, India 560029
2 School of Biotechnology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri Campus, Kollam, Kerala, India 690525
3 Pushpagiri Research Centre, Pushpagiri Medical College, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India 689101
The Musa genus, widely cultivated, known for its dietary importance, nutrient profiling, with all these qualities, exhibits a broad spectrum of traditional medicinal applications. Along with various fruits, vegetables, and plants, studies have discovered that the unused byproduct part, specifically the floral structures known as the heart of a banana or banana blossom, has shown great potential for pharmacological and therapeutic investigations due to its rich array of bioactive constituents. This review highlights on the significance of the banana blossom, it shows a combined findings from recent research on Musa species, particularly targeting the inflorescence part highlighting its notable applications towards the antioxidant potential, which is largely regulated due to presence of substantial levels of polyphenols, flavonoids compound and their derivatives that neutralizes cellular oxidative damage. The study further explores and continues the antidiabetic action exhibited by the banana flower extracts, which slow down the action of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, resulting in lowering the glucose levels. In addition, the extracts’ antimicrobial potential is also visualized against microbial strains. By analysing the current and recent body of literature, this study presents a well-structured view and comprehensive perspective on the therapeutic and ethnomedicinal promise of banana inflorescence. It encourages and promotes the future aspect and development in this field of pharmacology using natural-based products.
Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and infections have become a rising concern in day-to-day life. These all possess an impactful challenge and threat to global health. High involvement of synthetic medications has shown certain harmful health implications. Thus, scientists and researchers are looking towards an alternative pathway towards an urgent need for natural remedies, plants, and their derivatives are the core input towards the development of natural medications to alleviate the implications.
Fruits and vegetables are known for their high level of nutritional value. They contribute richly towards the enhancement of the vitamins, minerals content. They show a large group of polyphenolic compounds, due to which they can exhibit potent therapeutic effects and ethnomedicinal properties. One of the most researched and used fruits is the Banana (Musa sp.). Banana species show both traditional value and potent medicinal effects. Various parts of the banana have been used for their medicinal properties. Bananas are rich in oligosaccharides that prove beneficial for the gut microbiome, showing effective results in improving the digestive system.
Bananas, or Musa species, are an important fruit crop grown on around 15 million hectares worldwide, yielding about 30 million tons each year. Perhaps being the oldest crop ever grown, Musa thrives in humid-tropical climates with well-drained soils. Pseudo stem made up of overlapping leaf sheaths that supports 10-20 leaves, it is a large herbaceous perennial that grows to a height of about 3-4 metres. The pseudo stems are pronounced, massive inflorescences with many yellowish blooms protected by reddish-purplish bracts that curve downward to form clusters of fruits. Musa species are highly rich in micro and macronutrients and thus provide a high-profile nutritional value.(1)
Apart from fruit, the leaves, flowers, and peels of the banana also enhance the nutrient and medicinal profiling. The banana flower, which is frequently eaten as a vegetable in many Asian cuisines, shows a promising, unique phytochemical profile, indicating special pharmacological properties. They possess richness in secondary metabolites, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that contribute to many significant biological advancements and functions. They are well well-known source for dietary roughage, curing digestive ailments and problems. Even the inflorescence is highly rich in polyphenolic, flavonoid, nutritional, and vitamin qualities, making it one of the essential and traditional remedies for a variety of ailments. (1,2)
Recent laboratory experiments have focused on the fact that extracts from the banana inflorescence have shown great antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties by in vitro mechanisms. Extracting bioactive compounds from the inflorescence shows positive and eco-friendly results in the medicinal field. The primary aim of the researchers is to evaluate and focus on the phytochemical screening of the compounds and use their antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties to enhance the field of natural product-based drugs. Musa species are abundantly rich in bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which contribute to a broad spectrum of health benefits.
Human undergoes various metabolic processes throughout their lifespan. These processes play vital roles in maintaining and regulating all the functional properties of the system. During these processes, small highly reactive byproducts such as free radicals, including reactive oxygen species, are produced that cause strong damage to the body cells. Elimination of these products is one of the important aspects to maintain a healthy lifestyle. That is where antioxidant comes into action, antioxidant shows the ability to neutralize those free radicals, preventing cellular destruction, and act as a defence mechanism. Now days due to advancements in the research field, these antioxidant molecules are not only limited to certain compounds, they are also potentially available in natural sources such as fruits, flowers, and leaves. Banana inflorescence is one of such resources that exhibits antioxidant properties. One of the most widely used methods for the in vitro antioxidant property is DPPH scavenging potential (3).
Antimicrobial studies are now becoming a broad aspect in targeting pathogenic effects. Pharmaceuticals, industries, and factories mainly focus on the production of synthetic drugs to provide resistance against bacterial pathogenicity. Due to excessive misuse and overuse of antibiotics, synthetic drugs, and medications against diseases and pathogenicity have become a global concern, adding more health-related complications.(4). However, recent studies show that these compounded drugs exhibit certain adverse effects. During the ancient period, certain medicinal plants exhibited and showed a great response towards health-related problems due to infections. Therefore, scientific research has shifted its focus toward the invention and development of natural drugs based on an eco-friendly mode of medications. Thus, studies revealed that the Musa inflorescence exhibits potent zones of inhibition against microbial activity. Although the level of zone of inhibition was not extensive and strong enough, they are still responsible for suppressing microbial activity due to their richness in polar compounds.
Diabetes, a metabolic disorder related to carbohydrate metabolism, known as hyper glycemia. It is a worldwide disorder, becoming a more prevalent and serious concern, where the accumulation of glucose in the blood exceeds the normal levels. Initially, the body synthesizes insulin from the beta cells of the pancreas to maintain blood glucose levels. However, with an increase in blood glucose levels, the pancreatic beta cells become unable to synthesize insulin; therefore, they cannot full fill the body's requirement(5). Hyper glycemia can lead to serious health complications - heart attack, stroke, nerve damage. In such cases, preformed insulin injections are used to help maintain blood glucose balance. Even synthetic drugs like sulfonylureas and biguanides are involved in controlling diabetes, but they are accompanied by side effects like dizziness, weight gain, and hypo glycemia (6). But recent findings suggested that the bioactive compounds, phenolics, anthocyanins, all these compounds show relevant activity for inhibition of two key enzymes - α amylase and α glucosidase, responsible for the diabetic condition. Thus, scientists started to focus more on natural means, plant-based alternatives, to look towards a safer medium.
Cancer is another global threat, with its continuing rise in cases. It is largely affected by factors such as poor dietary lifestyle, environmental factors, epigenetic factors, radiation, mutations, etc. Plants and plant-based derivatives have contributed significantly in controlling human illness.(7). Research and findings have proven certain in vitro assays that inhibit the cancerous cells growth. Conventional practices - Fruits, vegetables, plant-based products, and derivatives have shown a potent capacity towards inhibiting and lowering the risk of cancer due to the presence of bioactive compounds. Polyphenolic groups present in the natural sources possess the ability to inhibit tumour growth, trigger cell death pathways. The presence of secondary metabolites produced by the plant bodies widely contributes to the anticancer property.
This review aims to find the current understandings and findings on the phytochemical constituents and their therapeutic effects of banana inflorescence, in enhancing the field of medicinal support.
Phytochemical Constituent
The related studies showed that banana inflorescences are a rich source of phenolic, flavonoid, dietary roughage, tannin, saponin, and alkaloid components. These compounds together contribute to therapeutic effects.
Nutrient Profiling and concentration of the compounds differ from species to species, climatic conditions, soil quality, growth parameters, stages, and even extraction methods.
Methodology
The methodology includes the collection of the respective sample (banana inflorescence). Bracts were properly washed and finely chopped into small pieces and kept for drying; direct heat exposure was avoided to preserve the thermolabile bioactive compounds. The sample was mostly subjected to the shade drying process or by a gentle conventional drying method using a hot air oven at a lower temperature of 30-40°C(11). Moisture content should be completely avoided to maintain sample integrity and prevent degradation.
Phytochemical screening
The phytochemical screening targets the analysis for the presence of phenolic, flavonoid compounds. As per reports, it has been observed that methanolic or ethanolic extract shows the highest phytochemical compounds. The detection method can be carried out both quantitatively and qualitatively. The qualitative studies were based on certain standard protocols that test for the presence of respective and specific secondary compounds. Test for presence of glycosides, plant extracts were mixed with sodium hydroxide the appearance of a yellow precipitate confirmed their presence. The presence of phenolic compounds was identified by adding lead acetate to the sample extract solution, resulting in the formation of a bulky white precipitate, indicating phenols. Flavonoids were tested by introducing concentrated hydrochloric acid to the extracts; the appearance of red colour suggested their presence. For saponins, extracts were diluted and vigorously shaken with distilled water; the formation of persistent foam indicated positive results(12)(13).
This study aims to show and confirm the preliminary and primary findings related to the presence of phytochemical compounds such as alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. They provide evidence of the presence of the bioactive compounds within the Musa inflorescence extracts. Polarity of solvents plays a significant and major role in the extraction of the phytochemical compounds (Table 1).
Table 1. Showing the presence of the phytochemical compounds based on their solvents used during the extraction process.(14)(8,15)
|
Compounds |
Methanol |
Ethyl acetate |
Hexane |
|
Tannins |
+ |
- |
- |
|
Saponins |
+ |
- |
- |
|
Phenolics |
+ |
+ |
- |
|
Flavonoids |
+ |
+ |
- |
|
Carbohydrates |
+ |
- |
+ |
|
Triterpenes |
+ |
+ |
- |
|
Steroids |
+ |
+ |
+ |
Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) are the two key aspects for testing the therapeutic effects of any plant sample and plant-based product. TPC assay is well well-structured spectrophotometric analysis, by the formation of a blue colour compound in the presence of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. The FC reagent acts as a strong oxidising agent; thus, the phenolic compounds reduce the oxidising agent by forming a blue colour compound, absorbance was measured at 765 nm. While TFC precisely shows a quantitative assay of the flavonoid content in the presence of aluminium chloride, absorbance was measured at 510 nm. Studies showed that methanolic and ethanolic extracts showed high yield of phenolic and flavonoid content, compared to the other extracts (ethyl acetate, water, hexane). The presence of phenolic and flavonoid content depends on the polarity of the solvent (Ethanol > Methanol> Ethyl acetate > Hexane). Based on these TPC and TFC contents, biological analysis was further conducted.
Therapeutic effects
Antioxidant properties
The DPPH assay remains one of the most widely and commonly used radical scavenging assays. It is the most extensively used spectrophotometric method for assessing the antioxidant potential of Musa sp. inflorescence. Investigations have proven that extracts containing higher total phenolic content and flavonoid content exhibit extensive scavenging activity. Studies show that ethanolic and methanolic extracts possess superior results, as methanol and ethanol are highly polar solvents; due to their high polarity, they can easily dissolve the phenolic compounds.
The assay involves a simple experimental setup. The respective antioxidant-containing sample (extract) was added to the DPPH solution (purple colour), the purple-coloured complex was then reduced to yellow coloured complex, and the results show decreasing absorbance at 517 nm. The decrease in the absorbance results in direct relevance to the free radical scavenging activity of the extracts. Ascorbic acid was used as the standard for a comparative analysis with the sample activity.
Multiple results and reports concluded that with increasing concentration, the absorbance decreases, reflecting enhanced scavenging activity. The observed value at the lowest concentration of the methanolic extract and the highest concentration of the methanolic extract showed a broad range of differences, exhibiting increasing scavenging activity. The efficacy of antioxidant activity, expressed as IC?? (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) or percentage inhibition, varies depending on the extraction solvent, cultivar, and part of the inflorescence used. However, there are other comparative reports regarding blanching florets and fresh ones. While blanching did not significantly affect the antioxidant activity of florets, it significantly decreased the percentage inhibition in banana bract extracts compared to fresh bracts (28.43% for fresh vs. 13.33% for blanching)(16). It can be observed that with an increase in thermal conditions, they exhibit a reduction in the antioxidant property. Certain reports suggested that the richness of the bioactive compounds in banana inflorescence enhances lactation, which depicts antioxidant properties and protection (Table 2).
Table 2. Showing free radical scavenging activities by different Musa sp. extracts. The table represents the minimal inhibition percentage at IC??compared against a potential standard, ascorbic acid. (14)
|
Banana species |
Solvent |
IC50 |
Ascorbic acid (standard) |
|
M. paradisiaca |
Ethyl acetate |
38.3 µg/mL |
15.3 µg/mL |
|
M.paradisiaca(flower) |
Methanol |
51 µg/mL |
|
|
M. balbisiana (flower) |
Ethanol |
1.156 mg/mL |
0.123 mg/mL |
|
M.acuminata (bracts) |
Methanol |
2.14±4.17 mg/mL |
0.75 mg/mL |
|
M.paradisiaca (bracts) |
Methanol |
2.52 mg/mL |
0.75 mg/mL |
|
M. balbisiana (seed) |
Ethanol |
784.77 ± 1.2 µg/mL |
123.1 ± 0.05µg/ml. |
|
M. balbisiana (flower) |
Ethanol |
1.1560± 1.01 µg/mL |
123.1 ± 0.05µg/ml. |
|
M. balbisiana (peel) |
Ethanol |
1.9928 ± 0.8 µg/ml |
123.1 ± 0.05µg/ml |
|
M.acuminata |
Aqueous |
3.33±1.81 mg/mL |
0.75 mg/mL |
|
M. paradisiaca |
Aqueous |
3.71±1.18 mg/mL |
0.75 mg/mL |
Antioxidant property helps the mother from cellular damage and indirectly support a healthy lactation period(17). Studies showed that inflorescence sample was prepared in different solvent- based extracts, the phenolic content was high (22.73 mg/GAE) in ethanolic extract, and hence showed the best free radical scavenging activity. In this case, it was concluded that iso quercetin and catechin are the compounds that contributed towards antioxidant protection in maternal breastfeeding. Later, for further human use, the extracts were prepared using water instead of ethanol (17).
Antimicrobial properties
The extracts of Musa inflorescence were broadly involved in exhibiting potential antimicrobial activities. Initially the industries were more focused on development of antimicrobial drugs against the susceptible microbes. But with time it has been proven that certain naturally obtained compounds exhibit drug-like qualities, and banana inflorescence being one of those natural substitutes(18).
Collectively, multiple studies have confirmed that the inflorescence of the banana has great potential to inhibit microbial growth. The antimicrobial action was evaluated using various methods, such as the well diffusion method or disk diffusion method, in some cases, the 96-well plate method. The disk or well diffusion method is the most commonly and widely used. In case of agar diffusion, wells were filled with the sample extracts with different concentrations of extract and incubated for 24-48 h, minimum inhibition zones will be observed around the wells, meanwhile the test results for disk diffusion show clear zones surrounding the disk impregnated with the sample extract, which signifies a positive result. Positive and negative controls were also used for comparison purposes. (19)
Antimicrobial potential of the Musa species was highly influenced by the polarity of the solvents, and their ability to dissolve the polar and phenolic compounds present in the sample used during the extraction period. Research showed efficient and effective results that methanolic and ethanolic extracts have significant inhibitory zones among a broad spectrum of pathogens, including both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial cultures, and even ethyl acetate extract has also shown certain effective responses towards inhibition activity. Hexane extracts lack the potential inhibitory function. Polar solvents comprise hydroxyl groups, carrying negative charge, and the phytochemical content is highly driven by the activity of polar solvents. They contain a wide range of bioactive compounds - tannins, phenolics, flavonoids, and alkaloids, all collectively contribute to disrupting the microbial cell membrane, inhibiting the enzymes, and ultimately disturbing the genetic makeup of the pathogens. Thus, showing the ability to inhibit and suppress the activity of a broad range of bacterial and fungal strains. Some of the tested samples were based on B. subtilis, B. cureus (gram-positive),P. syringea, E.coli, K. pneumoniae, S. flexneri (gram-negative), and C. albicans(Fungi)(20). The concentration of the test extract should be taken as 5,10, 20, and 25 mg/mL and is compared against a strong antibiotic such as streptomycin. According to the studies, lower concentrations of the sample do not possess any microbial inhibitory activity(21).Inhibition of antimicrobial activity also varies based on the sensitivity of the bacterial strain (22). The bacterial strain E.coli and S. flexneri shows the most sensitivity towards the ethanolic extract, compared to other bacterial strains (Table 3).
Table 3. Showing the range of zone of inhibition for different Musa sp. Inflorescence using different pathogen cultures (20,21)
|
Banana species |
Solvent |
E.coli |
B. subtilis |
Vibrio para-haemolyticum |
C. albicans |
P. syringea |
B. cereus |
PV. Manihoti |
Klebsiella pneumoniae |
Shigella flexneri |
|
|
|
Zone of inhibition (mm) |
|
|
||||||
|
M. acuminata |
Ethyl acetate |
4.5 |
2.5 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
3 |
|
|
|
M. acuminata |
methanol |
5 |
7 |
6.5 |
6 |
10 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
M. acuminata |
hexane |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
M. paradisiaca |
Ethyl acetate |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
M. paradisiaca |
methanol |
- |
2 |
- |
5.5 |
4 |
6 |
- |
|
|
|
M. paradisiaca |
hexane |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
Nanjangud rasa bale |
Methanol
|
15.80± 0.49 |
9.05± 0.82 |
|
|
|
|
|
10.50± 0.47 |
11.70± 0.61 |
|
Nanjangud rasa bale |
Ethyl acetate |
13.83± 0.52 |
12.08± 0.38 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
12.56± 0.44 |
|
Nanjangud rasa bale |
Ethanol
|
17.99± 0.19 |
14.53± 0.43 |
|
|
|
|
|
12.41± 0.52 |
21.72± 0.44 |
|
Nanjangud rasa bale |
Acetone |
8.92± 0.95 |
8.71± 0.64 |
|
|
|
|
|
6.03± 0.50 |
8.14± 0.77 |
|
Nanjangud rasa bale |
Aqueous |
11.5± 0.5 |
7.19± 0.17 |
|
|
|
|
|
- |
7.53± 0.41 |
Antidiabetic Properties
Diabetes mellitus is one of the growing concerns across the globe. With the rise in cases of the disease, alternative and safe methodologies are being actively investigated, contributing to its cure and treatment. During the ancient period, plant-based products have always shown positive and beneficial effects for curing the disease; they help in boosting the glucose uptake by the body cells, reducing the amount of glucose being produced by the body, and thus synthesizing adequate levels of insulin. α amylase and α glucosidase are the two potent enzymes that regulate the hydrolysis of carbohydrates and increase the deposition of glucose in the blood.αamylase enhances the breakdown of starch, whereas glucosidase helps in the breakdown of complex carbohydrate molecules, especially in the small intestine(6).
Invitro studies have confirmed that Musa sp. inflorescence contributed to the inhibition of α amylase and α glucosidase enzymes and exhibited an antidiabetic property, slowing down the breakdown of the carbohydrate complexes. The inhibitory mechanism of these enzymes was directly linked to the presence of phytochemical composition in the inflorescence extracts. As per the reports, it is already known that Musa sp. is highly rich in flavonoids, phenolics, certain compounds such as phytosterol content - β-sitosterol, 31-norcyclolaudenone, and daucosterol, which show a promising response towards the inhibitory function of the enzymes (amylase and glucosidase). The efficiency of the mechanism was expressed as IC?? (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) or percentage inhibition rate. It was observed that with increasing concentration of the extract, the inhibitory effects increased, indicating a direct proportional relationship between the concentration of the extract and percentage of inhibition. Thus, confirm the activity of the potent inhibitor(22,23).
Acarbose, an inhibitor, served as the reference and standard for the comparative analysis between the effects of the natural inhibitor and the synthetic one. Studies suggested that Phenylphenalenone from banana flower inhibited α-glucosidase with an IC?? of just 3.86?µg/mL, proving more effective than acarbose (IC?? ~999?µg/mL)(22). On the other hand, compounds such as Lupeol and Umbelliferone from Musa paradisiaca flowers showed non-competitive inhibition with IC?? values ~7?µg/mL(24). Inflorescence extracts from M. balbisiana displayed α-amylase and α-glucosidase IC?? values comparable to acarbose (approx. 67 and 30?µg/mL, respectively)(23).These values strongly confirm that Musa sp. inflorescence acts as a strong natural inhibitor. Natural inhibitor shows a dual inhibitory effect on both amylase and glucosidase activity.
This study showed that natural agents slowed down the carbohydrate breakdown into sugars, controlling blood sugar levels. Synthetic compounds breakdown the compounds (carbohydrate) faster, causing diarrhea, bloating, discomfort, dizziness, and weight gain. While the natural compound exhibits more safer mode of treatment by exhibiting a multifunctional role - secretion of insulin, maintaining the uptake of glucose by the body cells, reducing the oxidative stress damage, all these together compile and enhance the property of banana inflorescence.
Anticancer properties
Cancer is caused by the uncontrolled and abnormal growth of cells. In normal conditions the cells are undergoing specific regulatory functions to maintain the cell cycle and the regulators activity related to the cycle. Mutations, and environmental factors results in dysfunction of the mediators and regulators involved in cell cycle, which disrupts the normal functionality of the cells. The root cause of cancer is due to mutation in the genetic constituent of the DNA(25). HeLa cell lines and CHO cell lines were used to assess the anticancer potential of the inflorescence extracts. The in vitro methodologies were used to carry out the evaluation. MTT assay was one of such invitro analysis methods. Since the previous studies showed that ethanolic or methanolic extracts exhibited high phytochemical contents, these extracts were used for the analysis. Normal human peripheral lymphocytes served as control cells to assess toxicity on healthy cells (1).
Apoptosis of the cell lines was carried out by caspase-9 activity assay and fluorescence microscopy using ethidium bromide/acridine orange (EB/AO) staining, while the LDH cytotoxic method was used for normal cell lines. Evaluation of the assay was carried out using different concentrations of the extract. As the dose of the dose increased, the HeLa and CHO cell lines showed increased cytotoxic activity. Thus, it was concluded that with higher exposure time and dose concentration, the cell viability decreased. The visibility of the activity of cells was carried out by a fluorescent microscope; the cancerous cells appeared to be bright orange due to fractionation of their nuclei, in contrast to the healthy-looking green control cells. According to reports, the ethanolic extract demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against HeLa cells, with an IC50 of 20 µg/mL, while for the normal cells, it showed no relevant actions(1).
Even certain research also shown evidence for inhibiting human colon cancer. Another study suggested that fermented fibers also contribute to initiating apoptosis of cancerous cells. These fibers trigger the release of cytochrome c and mediate the activation of the apoptotic pathway (26). This study hypothesized that due to phytochemical constituents, the antioxidant properties of the banana inflorescence extract also show relevant potential in exhibiting anticancer properties. All these studies strongly suggest that banana inflorescence can act as a natural source and inhibitor for cancerous cells, by targeting certain protein factors, cell cycle growth, which leads to inhibition of the cancerous cell. Findings suggest that further research should be done on the anti-cancerous properties of the banana inflorescence to identify the novel compounds playing effective roles in the cancerous cells.
Challenges and future perspective
Musa sp. inflorescence has shown and contributed high positive results in the medicinal and therapeutic field through their antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and anti-cancerous properties. However, these findings cannot yet fully realize their potential in aiding diseases, due to limited practical applications and studies. One of the main challenges is their extraction method; there is a lack of uniformity in the extraction of phytochemicals. Varied compounds, methods of extraction create a wide range of variation among the phytochemical screening and constituents. Screening of the specific bioactive compounds has still not progressed; certain novel compounds contributing to the in vitro research are not yet understood. All these experiments show an in vitro mechanism, making them involved in in vivo and real-life hypotheses (living bodies), which require much more ethical concern. Standardization and quantification of the extracts is another challenge for yielding a high concentration of bioactive compounds.
Future research should include the in vivo trials and methodology, followed by human trials to validate the in vitro trials of the chronic disease. As banana inflorescence shows high flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, future enhancement and studies should focus on the precise identification of the bioactive compounds, contributing to the inhibition of the chronic disorders-cancer, diabetes, and inflammation. It could exhibit a promising effect in using this floral byproduct in the field of therapeutic access, dietary function, nutritional profiling, and plant-based pharmaceuticals. The future holds significant potential in integrating the natural substances into synergetic formulation with other natural plant-based compounds, dietary intervention, enzyme enzyme-assisted processing. Further research should aim to understand the molecular mechanism contributing to the enhancement of the anticancer, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial properties. Even if it can enhance its studies in developing and formulating phytomedicine and functional foods, it can target the development of processed foods in such a way that bioactive compounds are retained in reducing risks for conditions like diabetes, cancer, and bacterial infections.
CONCLUSION
From this overall invitro study of the Musa sp. inflorescence, the extracts from different Musa sp. and their plant parts have promisingly marked and effective, and well-established remarks in the ethnomedicinal and medicinal field. The extracts possess a wide range of bioactive compounds, flavonoids, phenolics, anthocyanins, triterpenoids, and alkaloid content. All these compounds actively participate in reducing the risk of diseases. Banana extracts offer a sustainable and eco-friendly medium for conventional methods. The microbial techniques used show a sterile and adaptable environment to inhibit and enhance antimicrobial effects. Additional investigations are required to support in vivo applications. Even, scalable and quantified production of the bioactive compounds is required to support the real-life applications. The presence of secondary metabolites, their percentage yield, and distribution of the compounds should be the primary focus to fully realize the effects of the inflorescence. Collectively, it is strongly concluded that banana is a highly rich source of bioactive compounds with profound therapeutic effects. Multiple findings show its significant potential in anticancer, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and antioxidant activity. This study validates all those in vitro contributions, even ensuring the presence of certain novel compounds that contribute to the biological fields. Even though research is still required to standardize these compounds and there in vivo applications but their preliminary tests have proven positive responses towards the therapeutic effects. Thus, this nature-based compound can be used as a medium of replacement against synthetic drugs. Banana inflorescence shows potentially significant ability towards processed functional food for quality advancement and enhancement of nutraceutical growth. The insights developed in this review highlight the potential of the Musa sp. Inflorescence, the unused byproduct part, is involved in the development and field of therapeutic drugs. With continued research, the inflorescence can play a pivotal role in future aspects of bio-medical, drug development.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
FUNDING
The authors did not receive any funding for the preparation of this article.
REFERENCES
Prasasti Sarma, Aravind Madhavan, Soumya R S, Arun K B, Pharmacological Insights into Banana Inflorescence - A Review of Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Antidiabetic, and Anticancer Potential, Int. J. of Pharm. Sci., 2025, Vol 3, Issue 9, 242-253. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17038267
10.5281/zenodo.17038267
