Most of these phenolics are known to also exhibit antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antiallergenic, antithrombotic, and vasodilatory activities.
Flavonoids are the largest group of polyphenolic plant secondary metabolites. Different subclasses of flavonoids exist in banana fruits, and flavonoids of different banana varieties share some characteristics.
Flavonoids can help human body ward off every day toxins. Like other phytonutrients, flavonoids are powerful antioxidants with anti-inflammatory and immune system benefits. Diets rich in flavonoid-containing foods are sometimes associated with cancer, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disease prevention.
In study published in Front Plant Sci. (2016; 7: 1291), five flavonoids (quercetin, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside chloride, ellagic acid, catechin, and gallocatechin) were detected in both banana (Musa spp. AAB cv. ‘Xiangfen 1’ and Musa spp. AAA cv. ‘Brazil’) varieties at all fruit developmental stages.
Thus, the banana peel and pulp both are good sources of health-promoting phenolic compounds. Gallocatechin was more abundant in peel (158 mg/100 g dry wt.) than in pulp (29.6 mg/100 g dry wt.). The higher gallocatechin content may account for the better antioxidant effects. Thus, the antioxidant capacity of the bananas may be attributed to their gallocatechin content. (Food Chemistry Volume 79, Issue 3, November 2002)
Flavonoids in banana
