Do we have to go bananas? No! Not enough K.

This paper reports on the potassium content of five (5) varieties of Nigeria bananas. The potassium content was determined by flame spectrophotometer. We report that of the five varieties, none contained the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for potassium (4700 mg/day) and so potassium must be acquired from other sources to meet this daily allowance or one may have to eat about a thousand (1000) g of ba- nana a day to acquire the total RDA for potassium required per day

Identification by GC-MS of the Components of Oils of Banana Peels Extract, Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Analyses

Banana is eaten all over the world by all sections of the population. A lectin, called BanLec, was isolated from banana fruit and found to possess anti-HIV-1 activity. However, the peels of banana are thrown away as rubbish although farmers are known to use them as feed for their animals. We thought that there might be some valuable chemicals in banana peels and therefore decided to extract the oils from their peels. Two varieties of Nigeria bananas were chosen for an initial study. The crude methanolic extract was subjected to phytochemical analysis, which revealed the presence of steroids, saponin, terpenoids, anthraquinones and tannins. Antimicrobial study of the methanolic extract showed that the oils were effective against some bacteria. The chemical constituents of the oils were identified and characterized by GC-MS. The fatty acids stearic, palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids and their methyl esters as well as 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furancarboxyaldehyde, cyclododecane, dibutyl phthalate, b-sitosterol, sesamin and epi-sesamin were among the identified components. These constituents were found to be compounds with known biological and medicinal activit

Preliminary Study on the Potassium content of Nigerian Bananas and the Methanolic Extraction, Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Studies of Oils from Banana Peels

Banana is eaten all over the world by all sections of the population. It is known to contain potassium and it has been suggested that it could serve as a source of potassium. Recently, a valuable chemical component, a lectin, called BanLec, was isolated from banana fruit and found to possess anti-HIV-1 activity. However, the peels of banana are thrown away as rubbish and farmers are known to use them as feed for their animals. It is therefore necessary to determine the potassium content of some Nigerian bananas and to also extract the oils from their peels. The components of the extracted oils are to be determined and tested for their biological activity. The potassium content of five (5) varieties of Nigerian bananas (Dwarf Cavendish AAA GP; Lady Finger AA GP; Dwarf Chinese Double; Double Dwarf Senorata AA GP; Giant Cavendish (Williams) AAA GP and Dwarf Red AAA GP) was determined using flame photometer. The potassium content varied from 0.15 mg/g (Dwarf Red) to 1.80 mg/g (Lady Finger). Compared to the value of 358 mg per 100 g reported in the literature, these values are very low and considerable lower than the RDA of 4700 mg. The conclusion is that Nigerian bananas will not be a viable source of potassium for candidates with potassium deficiency. A report on the methanolic extract of oil from their peels is given. Two (2) of the five (5) varieties were chosen and methanolic extraction of oils from their peels was undertaken. The crude extract was subjected to phytochemical analysis, which revealed the presence of the following of steroids, saponin and terpenoids, anthraquinones and tannins. A report is also given on antimicrobial studies of the methanolic extracts, which revealed that the oils were effective against some bacteria