Abstract

A BRIEF REVIEW ON PHARMACOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF Musa sapientum

Midhuna K.*, Karunakar Hegde, A. R. Shabaraya

ABSTRACT

Banana plant (Musa sapientum) is an herb, in the genus Musa. It is cultivated mainly for its fruit. In different countries about 300 varieties of bananas are grown, of which a vast majority has been growing in Asia, Indo Malaysian and Austrian tropics and are now widely found throughout the tropical and subtropical countries. The plants are mostly large perennial herbs with rhizomes, with stout and unbranched stem. Leaves are simple large with stem clasping sheaths. The fruit is a woody capsule or leathery or fleshy soft berry. The fruit average 125 gm, of which approximately 75% is water and 25% dry matter content. Bananas are valuable source of vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. The plant is reported to have antiulcerogenic, antilithiatic, antimicrobial, analgesic, antihypertensive, antidiarrhoeal, antiallergic, antioxidant, diuretic, hypolipidemic, hypoglycaemic, hair growth promoting, haemostatic, muscle relaxant, mutagenic, wound healing and vasodilatory activities. The different phytoconstituents present in the unripe fruit extract of the plant like; alkaloids, steroids, glycosides, flavonoids etc that gives the possibility of expected pharmacological activities and which help for further research and treatment for the patients.

Keywords: Botanical description, Chemical constituents, Distribution, Pharmacological activities, Banana, Musa sapientum.