International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science Technology.

ISSN 2249-3050 Volume 7, Number 1 (2016), pp. 13-22

© Research India Publications
http://www.ripublication.com

Proximate Composition and Antioxidant Activity of

Banana Blossom of Two Cultivars in India

Arya Krishnan S.a and Dr. Sinija V.R.b

a
M.Tech Scholar, bAssociate Professor,
Indian Institute Of Crop Processing Technology, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu, India
E mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The objectives of the work taken up were proximate composition analysis and
extraction and estimation of antioxidant components from banana blossom of
two cultivars (Poovan & Monthan) in India. Flower samples were collected
and extracted by using ethanol and water according to the method of
Association of Official Analytical Chemist (AOAC). Banana blossom powder
was prepared by drying banana blossom slices at 60 0C for 12 hrs in a tray
drier. Before drying banana blossom slices were dipped in 0.2% citric acid
solution for 30 min in order to reduce browning. Nutritional composition of
the banana blossom samples was studied. Results showed that banana blossom
samples of Poovan and Monthan variety contained high amount of fiber (12.42
to 12.82 in fresh samples and 15.32 to 15.48 in banana blossom powder) and
ash (2.42 to 3.21 in fresh samples 3.08 to 4.19 in banana blossom powder).
Antioxidant activity was found out using DPPH free radical scavenging assay.
Ethanol extract of Poovan variety revealed better antioxidant properties than
Monthan variety.

Keywords: Banana blossom, Nutritional composition, Antioxidant activity

INTRODUCTION
Novel drug entities continue to be developed through research into their constituents.
One such plant family of medicinal importance is Musaceae. Musaceae family has 2
genera and 42 different species and within 42 species, 32 species belongs to musa
species [Nuengchamnong et al., 2004] – one of the largest known herbaceous
flowering plant in the world. It includes banana and plantains [Evans, 2002]. Banana,
an antique fruit crop known as „Apple of the Paradises‟ has played interesting and
important roles in the history of human civilizations.
14 Arya Krishnan S. and Dr. Sinija V.R.

Banana blossom is usually considered as a byproduct of banana cultivation. India is

the world‟s largest producer of banana with 14.20 million tons and it is grown almost
in every state. Among the states Tamilnadu ranks first in banana cultivation with a
production area of 118.04 hectares in the crop year 2013-2014. The by-products of
banana cultivation are estimated at about 220 tones of plant mass per hectare. Banana
blossom is having tremendous nutritional value and health effects. It is consumed as a
vegetable either raw or cooked by some ethnics in the Asian region. Instead of being
treated as an agricultural waste banana blossom can be utilized as an ingredient in
food formulations
Although India is the leading country in banana cultivation the nutritional properties
and health benefits of banana blossom are less focused by researchers. Banana
blossom is considered as an indigenous food and its consumption is limited due to the
tedious preparation procedure. Considering all these factors the present study was
done to analyze the nutritional composition and antioxidant properties of two cultivars
(Poovan and Monthan) in India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Banana blossom sample:
Musa spp. “Poovan” and “Monthan” the two most popular and accessible banana
flowers were selected for this study. The two varieties were obtained from the local
market of Thanjavur, Tamilnadu. Two to three layers of outermost bract were
removed and the samples were washed thoroughly in running water. Compared to
Monthan variety Poovan variety was small in size and was dark purple in colour.
Poovan variety was having an initial weight of 0.463 g approximately and that of
Monthan variety was 0.653g. For most of the analysis dried samples were used.

Proximate Analysis of Banana Blossom:

Samples of banana flower were analyzed for proximate composition (moisture,
protein, fat, ash and total dietary fiber) following the standard methods published by
Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 1995). Moisture content was
estimated by gravimetric measurement of weight loss after drying the sample in an
oven at 105°C until constant weight was obtained. Protein was determined by
Kjeldahl method (Kjeldahl, 1883), and thereafter a conversion factor of 6.25 was used
to calculate the total nitrogen to crude protein. Crude fat was analyzed by the Soxhlet
extraction method. The content of ash was measured by gravimetric measurement of
the sample in the furnace at 550°C until the constant weight was achieved. Crude
fiber was determined according to the AOAC enzymatic gravimetric method (1995).

Preparation of Banana Blossom Powder (BBP):

The blossoms were cut into a thickness of (≈) 5mm, directly into 0.5% citric acid
solution in order to reduce enzymatic browning. The slices were immersed in the
citric acid solution for 30 min. After that the water was drained and the banana
blossom slices were spread over the trays. Banana blossom slices were dried at 600C
Proximate Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Banana Blossom of Two Cultivars 15

for 12 hrs, ground in a mixer grinder into a particle size of 40 meshe, packed in
polyethylene bags and then stored at 50C prior to further analysis.

Proximate Analysis of Banana Blossom Powder:

Banana blossom powder was analyzed for proximate composition (moisture, protein,
fat, ash and crude fiber) following the standard methods published by Association of
Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 1995).

Preparation of Banana Blossom Extract (BBE):

Banana blossom extracts were prepared by using two different solvents-Water and
Ethanol. Water and ethanol extracts of both the varieties were prepared by the
following method. Fifty gram of BBP (both Poovan and Monthan variety) was shaken
in the solvent medium (water or ethanol) for 6 h in a shaker. After shaking water and
etanol extracts were filtered by using a watman filter paper. The residues obtained
after filtration were dried overnight and were extracted twice with the solvent medium
(Water or ethanol) by shaking for 1 h. The obtained extracts were again filtered by
using watman filter paper. The combined extracts were concentrated by evaporating
the solvent in a rotary evaporator. The obtained extracts were stored in amber colored
air-tight containers at -4 0C, until further use.

Antioxidant Activity of BBE:

DPPH radical scavenging was monitored according to the method of Yen and Chen
(1995) with minor modification. The prepared ethanolic and water extracts were used
for free radical scavenging activity test. Extracts were taken at concentrations of 0.1,
0.2, and 0.3 ml and 6 ml of 0.004 % of DPPH in 80% methanol was added to all test
tubes. The test tubes were incubated for 30 min at room temperature in dark. The
absorbance was read against a blank at 517 nm.

% ( )= − ×100

Where, A control is the absorbance of the control (solution to which no antioxidant

was added) and AS is the absorbance of the extract solution.

Estimation of Total Phenol content:

The total phenol content of extracts was determined by the Folin- Ciocalteau
colorimetric method (Singleton et al., 1999). One ml of the extract solution was
mixed with the Folin–Ciocalteau reagent (1 ml) and 7.5% Na2CO3 (3 ml). After 1 h
of incubation at room temperature, the absorbance was measured against water at 760
nm (UV- Spectrophotometer). Gallic acid was used for establishing the standard curve
and the results were expressed as mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of extract.

Estimation of Flavonoid concentration:

The determination of flavonoid was performed according to the colorimetric assay of
Kim et al., (2003). Distilled water (4 ml) was added to 1 ml of disopropyl
fluorophosphates extract. Then, 5% Sodium nitrite solution (0.3 ml) was added
16 Arya Krishnan S. and Dr. Sinija V.R.

followed by 10% Aluminum chloride solution (0.3 ml). Test tubes were incubated at
ambient temperature for 5 min, and then 2 ml of 1 M Sodium hydroxide were added
to the mixture. Immediately after, the volume of reaction mixture was filled upto 10
ml with distilled water. The mixture was thoroughly vortexed and the absorbance of
the pink colour developed was determined at 510 nm. A calibration curve was
prepared with catechin and the results were expressed as mg catechin equivalents
(CEQ)/100 g sample.

Estimation of Vitamin E:
Estimation of vitamin E was carried out according to the method described by
Rosenberg (1992). Each banana blossom extract (1.5 ml), standard (10 mg/litre of α –
tocopherol dissolved in ethanol) and water was pipetted out in three centrifuge tubes
(test, standard and blank). To the test and blank 1.5ml of ethanol was added and to the
standard 1.5 ml of water was added. The mixture was centrifuged and 1.5 ml of
xylene was added to each tube. One ml of xylene layer was transferred into another
stopper tube without including any protein or ethanol and 1 ml of 2,2-dipyridyl
reagent was added. The mixture (1.5 ml) was pipetted out into cuvette and the
extinction of test and standard was read at 460 nm against blank. After that, beginning
with the blank, 0.33 ml of ferric chloride solution was added and the test as well as
standard was read at 520 nm exactly after 15 min against blank.

Statistical Analysis:
Triplicate analyses were conducted for each sample. The experimental data were
expressed as mean ± standard deviations of three separate determinations. One-way
analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out on the experimental results using
flowers species as an independent variable. The significance of differences between
means was compared by Tukey's multiple tests at p < 0.05. All calculations were
performed using an ANOVA package, IBM SPSS version 21.0 from statistical
analysis systems

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Proximate Composition Analysis of Banana Blossom Samples:
The nutritional composition analyses of banana blossom as well as banana blossom
powder are presented in Table 1
Proximate Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Banana Blossom of Two Cultivars 17

Table 1: Proximate composition (g/100 g) of banana flowers of two cultivars (Poovan

and Monthan))

Component Poovan Monthan

a
Moisture 90.1±1.05 90.23±0.67b
a
Protein 1.99±0.19 1.43±0.17b
Fat 0.43±0.03a 0.54±0.03b
a
Ash 3.21±0.12 2.42±0.19b
Crude fiber 12.82±0.9a 12.42±0.45a
a
Carbohydrate 95.23±0.77 95.61±0.98b
Values are expressed as Mean±S.D, Means in rows with different letters (a-b) are
significantly different (p<0.05), based on ANOVA.

The banana flowers of two cultivars were having the similar moisture content (above
90%) implying a very short shelf life of banana blossom. The content of protein
varied from 1.43 – 1.99 g/100g and the higher protein content was found in Poovan
variety. Fat concentration was generally low in both the samples (0.43 to 0.54
g/100g). The total ash content of both the samples was found to be significantly
different (P<0.05) and it varies from 2.42 – 3.21 g/100g. The fiber content of both the
flower samples was found to be higher and no significant difference (P>0.05) was
found between them. A higher content of fibers in banana flowers indicates that the
flowers can be consumed as dietary fiber supplements. Total carbohydrate was
calculated by %carbohydrates = 100 - (%protein + %fat + %ash) for purposes of
comparison (Sheng et al., 2010)

Table 2: Proximate composition of banana blossom powder of two cultivars (Poovan

and Monthan)

Component Poovan Monthan

a
Moisture 1.76±0.11 1.89±0.08a
Protein 1.98±0.06a 1.29±0.07b
a
Fat 0.41±0.16 0.46±0.1a
Ash 4.19±0.59a 3.08±0.17a
Crude fiber 15.48±0.32a 15.32±1.19a
a
Carbohydrate 93.42±0.64 95.17±0.3b
Values are expressed as Mean±S.D, Means in rows with different letters (a-b) are
significantly different (p<0.05), based on ANOVA.

Banana blossom powder was prepared according to the method described in the
section 2.3. Proximate analysis of banana blossom powder was also determined
(Table 2). The banana blossom samples were dried at 60 0C in a tray drier for 12 hrs.
In the nutritional analysis, the moisture content of the powdered samples was 1.76 –
1.89 g/100g. Reduction in the moisture content decreases the perishability of food
18 Arya Krishnan S. and Dr. Sinija V.R.

crops, adds value, and also extends the shelf life (Demirel and Turhan, 2003 and
Emperatriz et al., 2008). The levels of protein and fat are found to be low in dried
banana blossom powder (1.29 – 1.98 g/100g and 0.41 – 0.46 g /100g respectively)
than the fresh sample. Decrease of these macronutrients due to drying may be due to
the effect of heat treatment. Losses of these macronutrients by the application of heat
have also been reported by Hassan et al., (2007), Akpan and Umoh (2004), and
Morris et al., (2004). Carbohydrate content is also lowered in dried samples (93.42 –
95.17 mg/100g). Decrease in protein and carbohydrate contents probably occurred as
a result of Maillard reaction; which results in complex changes in food due to the
reaction between carbohydrate and protein (Boumendjel and Boutebba (2003), Wiriya
et al., (2009)). The decrease in lipid content of the dried samples could be as the result
of lipid oxidation. Nutrients have been reported to be lost as a result of chemical
changes such as oxidation. Lipid oxidation is known to be increased by many factors
such as heat, light and radiation (Savage et al, 2002). The ash and fiber content of the
dried banana blossom powder was increased (4.19 – 3.08 mg/100g and 15.48 – 15.32
mg/100g respectively) due to drying, than the fresh sample. The increase in the ash
and fiber contents could be as the result of the removal of moisture which tends to
increase the concentration of nutrients (Morris et al, 2004).

Antioxidant Activity (AOA) of Banana Blossom:

Antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH free radical scavenging activity as
explained in section 2.6. The assay of the scavenging of DPPH radical is widely used
to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of extracts from different plant materials
(Amarowicz et al., 2004). DPPH is a stable organic nitrogen radical and free radical
compound with a purple colour which change into a stable yellow compound on
reacting with an antioxidant. In brief, the reduction capacity of DPPH was determined
by the decrease in its absorbance at 517 nm, which is reduced by the antioxidant
(Duh, 1998).
Water and ethanol were used for the extraction of antioxidant components since
solvents with higher polarity are much favorable towards extracting the antioxidants
from banana inflorescence. Similar results were also obtained by Padam et al (2012).
Water, alcohols (methanol, ethanol and isopropanol), acetone and ethyl acetate are
proved to be better extracting solvent compared to chloroform, hexane and petroleum
ether in which the extracts show almost no antioxidant activity.
The antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of both Poovan and Monthan variety is
shown in Fig 1 and 2. The addition of the flower extract into the DPPH solution
caused a rapid decrease in absorbance at 517 nm indicating the excellent scavenging
capacity of the flower extracts. High antioxidant activity was shown by ethanolic
extracts of both Poovan and Monthan variety than the water extracts and among all
the ethanolic extract of Poovan variety was having highest antioxidant activity (82%).
Proximate Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Banana Blossom of Two Cultivars 19

Figure 1: DPPH radical scavenging activity under different concentrations in two

flower extracts using water (PW-Water extract of Poovan variety, MW-Water extract
of Monthan variety)

Figure 2: DPPH radical scavenging activity under different concentrations in two

flower extracts using ethanol (PE-Ethanol extract of Poovan variety, ME- Ethanol
extract of Monthan variety)

Determination of Antioxidant Components from Banana Flower Extracts:

The antioxidant activity of plant materials strongly correlates with their content of the
phenolic and flavonoid compounds (Velioglu et al., 1998). Phenolics are plant
secondary metabolites which are very important in chelating redox-active metal ions,
inactivating lipid free radical chains, and preventing hydro peroxide conversions into
reactive oxyradicals as they have been generally recognized. The most common
water-soluble antioxidant compounds in plants and foods are the phenolic compounds
(Macheix and Fleuriet, 1990). Flavonoids are classified as one of the important group
of antioxidant component which is commonly found in fruits and vegetables. Vitamin
E is a major lipid-soluble antioxidant in the cell antioxidant defense system and is
exclusively obtained from the diet. Table 4.4 summarizes the major antioxidant
components present in BBE.
20 Arya Krishnan S. and Dr. Sinija V.R.

Table 3: Antioxidant components present in banana flower extracts of two cultivars

(Poovan and Monthan)

Component Poovan Poovan Monthan Monthan

(Ethanol (Water (Ethanol (Water
extract) extract) extract) extract)
Total phenols 13.45±0.35a 10.42±0.23b 9.3±0.36c 5.24±0.06d
(mg/g)
Flavonoids 6.4±0.2a 4.9±0.34b 5.53±0.42c 3.2±0.5d
(mg/100g)
Vitamin E (mg/Kg) 1.42±0.11a 0.73±0.13b 1.04±0.07c 0.42±0.41d
Values are expressed as Mean±S.D, Means in rows with different letters (a-d) are
significantly different (p<0.05), based on ANOVA.

Total phenols are expressed as gallic acid equivalents which varied between 9.3±0.36
mg/g and 13.45±0.35 mg/g. Regarding the antioxidant components present in ethanol
extracts of banana blossom, the flower sample of Poovan showed a higher phenolic
content (13.45 ± 0.35 mg/g) than samples extracted from the Monthan variety. Total
flavonoid content is expressed as catechin equivalents, and it varied from 3.2±0.5
mg/100g to 6.4±0.2 mg/100g. The results confirmed that banana flowers are good
sources of phenols and flavanoids. Phenolic acids and flavonoids have been reported
to be the main phytochemicals responsible for the antioxidant capacity of fruits and
vegetables (Bahramikia et al., 2009). The concentration of vitamin E in Monthan
variety was found to be significantly lower than Poovan variety (p < 0.05) (Table 4.4).
The value found in banana flowers in this study was higher than those reported in
other tropical plants (Ching and Mohamed, 2001). The results showed that total
phenol content is higher than flavonoid content in the ethanol extract of banana flower
samples (Table 3). Therefore, the higher free-radical-scavenging activities of the
ethanol extract of banana flower samples may be due to the higher amounts of
phenolic compounds in those samples.
Water extracts of both Poovan and Monthan variety were showing a low yield of
antioxidant components. There is a significant difference in antioxidant components
between the two extracts of banana blossom. However the water extracts of Poovan
variety contains a significantly higher amount of antioxidant components than the
Monthan variety. This indicates that ethanol is the best solvent for extracting
antioxidant component from banana blossom than water extract.

CONCLUSION
This research work has comprehensively investigated the proximate composition and
antioxidant properties of banana blossom, which is considered as a by-product of
banana cultivation. Musa spp. „Poovan‟ and „Monthan‟ the most popular and
accessible varieties in Tamilnadu were chosen for this study. The analysis of banana
blossom revealed their considerable antioxidant properties and nutritional value. Also,
Proximate Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Banana Blossom of Two Cultivars 21

banana blossom powder was found to contain a significant nutritive complement

based on their high fiber content. In view of their high nutritional and antioxidant
properties, banana blossom can be used in diets in the form of dehydrated flour, and
can be easily incorporated into food formulations. The results obtained signify the
potential of banana blossom as a source of natural antioxidants including phenols and
flavonoids, and among the two varieties, ethanol extract of Poovan variety was having
highest antioxidant properties.

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