Sucrase Inhibitory Activities of Ethanol Extract of Unripe Peels of Musa Paradisiaca Linn and its Chemical Constituents

http://www.doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v6i9.23

Abstract

Musa paradisiaca Linn (plantain) is a popular medicinal plant belonging to the Musaceae family. It is a nutritious fruit, highly eaten all over the world. The peels are the major by-product of plantain fruits, constituting about 40% of the fruits and are largely viewed to be of little or no significance and subsequently discarded, thereby constituting a threat to the environment. This study investigates the phytochemical contents and sucrase inhibitory activity of the ethanol extract from the unripe plantain peels using standard phytochemical assay procedures and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) method. The result of the phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids, tannins and phenols in unripe plantain peels. The total phenolics content was found to be (2870.28 ± 6.09) GAE mg/100g, total flavonoids content (2109.55 ± 10.33) GAE mg/100g, total antioxidant content (591.82 ± 5.59) GAE mg/100g, and the Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) content (964.78 ± 11.76) GAE mg/100g. The maximum % inhibition observed at 250 µg/mL for the sucrase enzyme inhibition assay was 28.30, IC50 > 250 µg/mL. The GC-MS analysis generated 88 peaks corresponding to the bioactive components identified by comparing their mass spectral fragmentation patterns and other parameters to the known compounds documented by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) library. This study demonstrates that the often-undervalued plantain peels have mild anti-diabetic activity. The peels could be further processed and utilized in the
formulation of drugs and nutraceuticals for human and animal food.