CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ANTIMICROBIAL, ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES AND ADSORPTION STUDIES OF MUSA ACUMINATA AND MUSA BALBISIANA BRACTS.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish and evaluate the usefulness of banana and plantain bracts. The bract of banana (Musa acuminata) and plantain (Musa balbisiana) was investigated for its chemical composition, antibacterial, antioxidant and adsorption capacity. The result of proximate analysis and mineral composition of the bracts showed that moisture content of the samples rangedbetween 7.83-8.39%, crude protein, crude fibre, crude fat, total ash contents and carbohydrate ranged between:1.53-1.57, 16.5-21.2, 2.01-2.25, 14.6-15.10 and 52.6-56.8% dry matter (DM) respectively. Mineralcontent ranges as follows (mg/100g) calcium, 390-520, potassium, 127.3-169, sodium 91.2-103,chlorine 26.3-21.4, iodine 15.4-18.6, and low levels of potassium 2.92-4.31, magnesium0.68-0.90, manganese 0.42-0.38, zinc 0.33-0.39, iron 0.09-0.1, aluminum 0.07-0.08 and copper 0.03-0.03 respectively. The cellulose and lignin content of the samples ranges between 34.61-35.68 and 11.0-11.68 respectively. The phytochemical analysis showed that it contained (g/100g) tannins 29.01-24.21, flavonoids 6.33-8.34, saponin 25.08-26.02, phenol 0.34-0.56 and alkaloids 3.37-3.75. Antimicrobial activity of crude methanonlic, ethylacetate and n-Hexane extracts against. The bracts showed a wide spectrum of inhibition against bacteria such Bacillus cereus , P. syringe, C. albica B. subtilis , Pv. Vignicola, Pv. manihoti and E. coli . Methanolic and ethylacetate extracts exhibited appreciable activity against most of the bacterial species investigated. The zones of inhibition exhibited by the extracts against the test bacteria species ranged from 2 to 10, 2 to 7, 0 and 13.5 to 15mm for methanol, ethylacetate, n-Hexane extracts and standard respectively. Ethanolic extract of Musa acuminata bract have the strongest antioxidant activities. The 1.5 mg ml-1 of the ethanolic extracts and aqueous extracts were able to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl- hydrazyl (DPPH) radical up to 47-43% and 35-32%, chelate 47-45% and 34-30% of Fe2+ at 5 fold dilution and reduced 0.43-0.41mgml-1Fe2+g-1 and 0.35-0.32mgml-1Fe2+g-1 of Fe3+ to Fe2+ at 5 fold dilution respectively. The activated carbon obtained from the bractshas high removal capacities of inorganic waste such as lead. The adsorption of Lead (II) ion was investigated. Lead II ion exhibited excellent adsorption at pH 6. The optimum pH for this study was pH 6 where all carbon produced had metal uptake of 99.38%, 99.43%, 99.98% and 99.72% for POA-C, BOA-C, PCA-C and BCA-C respectively. Essential nutrients and minerals were present in the bracts ofM. acuminata and M. balbisianahave potential to be utilized as a source of feed supplement, antimicrobial agent and protective agent against oxidative stress.