Abstract
The present research aimed to evaluate and compare the antioxidant activity in both pulp and peel and the physicochemical contents in the pulp of four local varieties of banana, i.e. Musa acuminata species named Sagor, Champa, Shail and Bichi, available in Sylhet region of Bangladesh. The antioxidant activity from a methanolic extract of banana peels and pulps was evaluated by determination of total phenolic content and DPPH scavenging activity. The physicochemical contents of banana pulp such as protein, fat, moisture, ash and carbohydrate were also determined. The results showed that the overall antioxidant activity of banana peel was higher than the pulp of banana. The pulp of the Shail variety had the highest antioxidant activity (TPC = 80.14 mg GAE/100 g, DPPH radical scavenging activity =91.37%) among the four varieties. Fat (1.38%) and moisture (76.23%) contents were higher in the pulp of Shail, while protein (1.82%) and carbohydrate (22.71%) contents were higher in the pulp of Bichi. The Champa variety contained higher ash content (1.05%). Among the jellies prepared from those banana varieties, the jelly of the Shail variety showed the highest score for overall acceptance (6.8) whilst the jelly prepared from the Bichi variety showed the highest score for taste (7.75). This may be due to higher carbohydrate content. The study suggests that banana peel could be used in the food industry as a raw material to produce bakery products and in cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries as an antioxidant supplement.
Highlights
Bananas are the creamy flesh and sweet fruit, with firmness, which are packaged in their yellow jackets
The total phenolic content (TPC) of banana pulp recorded in the literature were 56.1 mg GAE/100 g (Sun, Chu, Wu, & Liu, 2002), 51 to 54 mg GAE/100 g in Pisang Mas banana (Lim et al, 2007; Alothman, Bhat, & Karim, 2009) and 90.4 mg GAE/100 g in Pisang Awak banana (Choo & Aziz, 2010)
According to Fatemeh, Saifullah, Abbas, and Azhar (2012), the TPC was generally higher in the peel than in the pulp for a particular banana component which supports the present study
Summary
Bananas are the creamy flesh and sweet fruit, with firmness, which are packaged in their yellow jackets. Banana is one of the most consumed fruits in the world (Alkarkhi, Saifullah, Yong, & Azhar, 2010). Banana can be utilized in the treatment of pains, intestinal lesions of colitis, inflammation and snakebite (Coe & Anderson, 1999). Free radicals may be produced continuously which cause serious diseases, like heart disease, cancer, arthritis, inflammation and aging. Antioxidants are those agents which can scavenge the free radicals and inhibit the damage caused by them. (banana) is the world’s leading fruit and in terms of economic value, it is the number five agricultural crop in Musa spp. (banana) is the world’s leading fruit and in terms of economic value, it is the number five agricultural crop in
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