2024, Vol. 12, Issue 6, Part B

author(s)
Grace Bello

abstract
Bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) are globally recognized for their nutritional significance, but their role as reservoirs of pharmacologically active phytochemicals is gaining increasing attention. Different plant parts, including peel, pulp, pseudostem, flowers, and leaves, contain a wide spectrum of bioactive compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, sterols, phytosterols, biogenic amines, and polysaccharides. These metabolites exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects, offering substantial opportunities for herbal drug development. In recent years, scientific evidence has strengthened the traditional medicinal uses of Musa, while novel technological strategies such as nanocarrier-based delivery and biofortification have addressed limitations related to bioavailability and compound stability. Despite these advances, major challenges including phytochemical variability, clinical validation, and regulatory compliance must be overcome. This paper synthesizes the biochemical and pharmacological evidence for Musa-derived compounds, highlights their mechanistic pathways, and evaluates their prospects for integration into modern herbal therapeutics.