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. The best antioxidants found in nature so far are vitamin C, vitamin E and the carotenoids.
Banana contains antioxidants and phytochemicals such as Vitamin-C, Vitamin-E, flavonoids and β-carotene which have free radical scavenging activity. Some enzymes of banana flesh increase the antioxidant capacity.
These tropical fruits have strong ability to protect themselves from the oxidative stress caused by the intense sunshine and high temperature by increasing their antioxidant levels. They are known as a weak primary antioxidant source but a powerful secondary antioxidant source.
Carbohydrates, norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, tryptophan, indole compounds, alkaloids, tannin, ascorbic acid, several flavonoids and related compounds (Leucocyanidin, quercetin and its 3-O-galactoside, 3-O-glucoside, and 3-O-rhamnosyl glucoside) have been isolated from the pulp of different bananas. Sterols such as β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol were isolated from the fruit, peel and plant.
Recent studies demonstrated that banana peel generally include higher phenolic compounds than that of banana pulps. It was reported carotenoids such as β-carotene, α-carotene and different xanthophylls in the range of 300–400 μg lutein equivalents/100 g. Researchers attributed antioxidant properties of banana peel to its gallocatechin content.
Bioactive compounds in banana
