Chemical composition of banana peel

Banana is a herbaceous plant of the family Musaceae. It is known to have originated from the tropical region of Southern Asia.

The fruit grows in hanging clusters, with 20 fruits to a tie and 3-20 tie to a bunch. The fruit is protected by its peel which is discarded as waste after the inner fleshy portion is eaten. Banana peel accounts about 40% of overall weight of the fresh fruit. Banana peels have different medical advantages to amazing dietary status, and it treats the intestinal sore, looseness of the bowels, diarrhea, ulcerative colitis, nephritis, gout, heart infection, hypertension and diabetes.

This resulted in 200 tons of waste from banana peels generated each day and this amount tends to increase annually. The banana peels waste is normally disposed in municipal landfills, which contribute to the existing environmental problems.

Moisture content of the peel to be 6.7%. The value is relatively low, and may perhaps be due to the time of harvest. The low value also designate that the peel can be amass for a long time without growing moldy. The ash content was found to 8.50%.

The organic matter content was found to be 91.50%. Organic matter measures the nutritional value (lipids, proteins and carbohydrate) of a plant material. The high value indicates that banana peels are good sources of nutrients. On the average, banana peels contain 6-9% dry matter of protein and 20- 30% fiber (measured as NDF). Green plantain peels contain 40% starch that is transformed into sugars after ripening.

The high dietary fiber content of banana peel (about 50 g/ 100 g) is indicative of a good source of dietary fiber.

Banana peel is rich in phytochemical compounds mainly antioxidants. The total amount of phenolic compounds in banana peel has been represented for from 0.90 to 3.0 g/100 g dry weight.

It also contains antioxidant compounds including polyphenols, catecholamins and carotenoids. Dietary polyphenols, with the aid of its wonderful antioxidant properties that cross beyond the adjustment of oxidative stress, play a critical function in the prevention of degenerative diseases especially, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

The antifungal, antibiotic properties of banana peel can put to be good use. The peel is used for home remedy for treating several skin problems including allergies and skin irritations.

Banana peels are used as feedstock as they have some nutritional values. Banana peels are widely used for that purpose on small farms in regions where bananas are grown. There are some concerns over the impact of tannins contained in the peels on animals that consume them.

In recent times, banana peel has been utilized for various industrial applications including bio-fuel production, bio-sorbents, pulp and paper, cosmetics, energy related activities, organic fertilizer, environmental clean-up and biotechnology related processes.
Chemical composition of banana peel

Ethanol production from banana peels

Banana represents one of the most important fruit crops, with a global annual production of more than 50 million tons. Peels constitute up to 30% of the ripe fruits. It was reported that banana peel is an energy-rich carbohydrate substrate for single-cell protein production for food and feed applications.

Attempts at utilization of banana waste include the biotechnological production of protein, ethanol, alpha-amylases and cellulalases. The idea of ethanol as an alternative fuel was realized, when it was clear that could be used as an octane enhancer on automobiles. In search of cheaper alcohol source, a number of lignocellulosic wastes were put on bioconversion trial. Banana peels have lately tried.

The production of ethanol from banana peel was reported in the 1980s (Ethanol from banana peels H.K. Tewari, S.S. Marwaha, K. Rupal Agricultural Wastes Volume 16, Issue 2, 1986, Pages 135-146).

The peels were saccharified with H2SO4, cellulose and steam and fermented with Saccharomyces ceravisiae var, ellipsoideus. Depending on the concentration, pressure and time, different rates of sachharification were achieved. The process was further accelerated by steaming and autoclaving.

With the cellulase, an ethanol yield of 1.38%, and with H2SO4 treatments, an ethanol yield of 0.78% was obtained Ethanol from banana peels.
Ethanol production from banana peels