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rel_sci@yahoo.com 9(12) 1434-1437 (2016)

Utilization for by products of banana - A Review

Anuj Yadav*1, Rewa Kumari2, Ashwani Yadav1, J.P. Mishra1 and Rajendra Kumar1
1
U.P.Council of Agricultural Research, Lucknow, India
2
Department of Food Science and Technology, Bilaspur University, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India
*e-mail: anuj.0720@gmail.com
(Received: December 28, 2015; Revised received: August 18, 2016; Accepted: August 24, 2016)
Abstract: Today bananas plantains are best known as a food crop, almost every part of the plant can be used in one way or another. It is both cheap and
full of nutrients are rich in nutrition, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Various parts of the banana plant itself can also be used for different purposes all over the
world. In Indonesia, the banana plant is used to make traditional medicine and as animal feed. In indigenous systems of medicine, pseudostem juice is a
well-known remedy for urinary disorders, stomach troubles like diarrhea, dysentery and flatulence; It helps in treatment for removal of stones in the kidney,
gall bladder, and prostate.. Banana leaves are used in eczema, as cool dressings for blister and burns disease. Banana flowers is used in dysentery and
ulcer disease. Some of the other by products made from banana includes values added products from banana fruits like banana puree, banana powder,
banana catsup, banana flour, banana chips dried banana fritter, banana vinegar, banana wine, banana jam, banana jelly sweet coat.
Key words: Banana pseudo stem, Banana plant, Banana peel, Banana fiber, Banana leaves

Introduction consumption, rest is incinerated and wasted. However, pseudostem

The banana is the world’s largest herb, and a member of
the lily family. After nine months, it produces fruit throughout the
entire year. Total world production of banana was 139.90 million
tons Food and Agriculture Organization (2013). India is the largest
producer of banana (29.8 million tons) followed by china (10.6
million tons), Uganda (9.8 million tons), Philippines (9.2 million tones),
Ecuador (7.6 million tons), Brazil (6.9 million tons), Indonesia (6.2
million tons) Food and Agriculture Organization (2013). The fruit
averages 125 grams (0.28 lb), of which approximately 75% is
water and 25% dry matter. Banana pseudo stem, Banana fibre,
Banana leaves and sheaths, Banana plant, Banana peel, Banana
skin, Banana pith, Banana Male bud are main by products of banana.
Banana pseudo stem:In general banana pseudo stem is abundant
natural resource in sub tropical and tropical regions and has potential
for providing the profitability products such as manure Ultra et al.
(2005) and feed Ulloa et al. (2004) which call for practical techniques
and process for exploit the natural resources. In south china, the
production of banana is significantly important. After harvesting
banana bunches from trees over attract of land, a large amount of
biomass remain, because each banana plant cannot be used for
next harvest. The bare pseudo stem are normally felled and usually
abandoned in the soil plantation to become organic waste and
cause environmental pollution. Therefore, exploitation of banana
pseudo-stem will be significantly beneficial for the environment and
bring additional profits to farmer. Banana pseudostem and rhizome
are considered as equally important in terms of their nutritional and
nutraceutical contents but only less than 2% is utilized for
and rhizome are profusely used in Ayurveda and Unani system of
medicines to cure both infectious and degenerative diseases. It has
been reported Justiz- Smith et al. (2008) that the fiber of the banana
pseudo-stem has a high young’s modulus and water absorption
capacity. Moreover the banana pseudo-stem shows significantly
physical property such as relative tensile strength and stiffness. The
application of natural fibers including banana pseudo-stem has been
proved promising in various technical field such as replacing
synthetic fibers as reinforcement in various composites use in
automobile parts Pothan and Thomas (2003).
Banana vermin compost can be the replacement of the
chemical fertilizer and nutrient spray will also be the replacement
against chemical spray, which ensures soil health Phirke et al.
(2001). A huge mass residue is produced from this production, all of
which goes waste due to non-availability of suitable technology for
its commercial utilization. Due to large availability of banana stem
waste in the country, it is important to implement clean production
and green chemical technology to utilize waste banana pseudo
stem. Snehal et al. (2014) reported that India is amongst the largest
banana (Musa acuminate) producing countries and thus banana
pseudo stem is commonly available agricultural waste to be used as
lingo cellulosic substrate. Two fungal strains Aspergillus ellipticus
and Aspergillus fumigatus reported to be producing cellulolytic
enzymes on sugarcane bagasse were used under co-culture
fermentation on banana pseudo stem to degrade holocellulose and
facilitate maximum release of reducing sugars. Snehal Ingale et al.
(2014) reported that the hydrolyses obtained after alkali and microbial

Research in Environment and Life Sciences 1434 December, 2016

Yadav et al.
treatments was fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCIM
3570 to produce ethanol. Fermentation of cellulosic hydrolysate
(4.1 g%) gave maximum ethanol (17.1 g/L) with yield (84%) and
productivity (0.024 g%/h) after 72 h. Some critical aspects of fungal
pretreatment for saccharification of cellulosic substrate using A.
ellipticus and A. fumigates for ethanol production by S. cerevisiae
NCIM 3570 have been explored in this study. It was observed that
pretreated banana pseudo stem can be economically utilized as a
cheaper substrate for ethanol production. Many authors who have
studied on utilization of banana pseudostem as a bioresource, even
using a biorefinery usually consider the whole trunk as a uniform
material Li et al. (2010); Akpabio et al. (2012); Ho et al. (2013);
Gabhane et al. (2014). According to Li et al. (2010) the high content
of holocellulose and low content of lignin make the banana pseudo-
stem bark, an ideal material for application in pulping and
papermaking. This is also currently done in Kerala, India, where a
craft type paper of good strength is made from crushed, washed
and dried banana pseudo-stems mixed with betel nut husk (Areca
catechu L.), yielding 48-51% unbleached pulp Tock et al. (2010).
Drinking extract from the stem attached to the banana cluster helps
kill tuberculosis bacteria.
Banana fiber: As a very good replacement for wood pulp in paper
industry, as it has high cellulose content,thus reducing the
Environmental impact of deforestation. Banana fiber can be an
alternative raw material of paper industries like writing paper, anti
grease paper, cheque paper as well as hard board industries
Mohapatra et al. (2010); Cordeiro et al. ( 2004).
Banana fiber is extensively used as blending material in
textile industry in countries like Philippines, Malaysia, Japan and
Korea. It can be easily blended with other fibers such as jute and
mustard being natural fibers. Therefore, lots of industrial products
like gunny bags, door mats, carpets, yarn, ropes, geo-textiles,
trivialities, luggage carriers and interior decorative crafts paper,
tissue paper, paper bag, etc. can be made from this fiber, where
great strength is required. It has also some industrial uses such as
natural sorbent, as a base material for bioremediation and recycling
and as a natural water purifier Mohapatra et al. (2010). Rope is a
length of fiber, twisted or braided together to improve strength, for
pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to
provide compressive strength Maleque et al. (2007). There are
actually three layers in the decaying bark of the banana tree. The
outer layer is the toughest and usually used for weaving items. The
middle layer produces rope that is used for thick cloth making and
the inner layer which is the silkiest fiber is used for spinning yarns
and making fine clothing Mohapatra et al. (2010) Cloths produced
from rope or yarn is called fabric whilst various types of dresses
made of cloths are called apparel Sapuan and Maleque (2005).
The process of fabric and apparel production from banana fiber is
as usual as cotton textile. It is also possible to prepare synthetic and
laminated fabric by mixing some other fiber like jute or cotton in
special ratio. Banana fiber is little known till today. In the recent past,
a banana fiber had a very limited application and was primarily
used for making items like ropes, mats and some other composite
materials. With the increasing environmental awareness and growing
Research in Environment and Life Sciences 1435
Utilization for by products of banana
importance of unfriendly fabrics, banana fiber has also been
recognized for all its good qualities and now its application is
increasing in other fields too such appeal garments and home
furnishing. However, in Japan, it is being used for making traditional
dresses like kimono and Kagoshima since the Edi period (1600-
1868). Due to its being lightweight and comfortable to wear, it is still
preferred by people there as summer wear. Banana fiber is also
used to make fine cushion covers, neckties, bags, table cloths,
curtains etc. Rugs made from banana silk yarn fibers are also very
popular world over. Hard Board Making, handicraft, central core
based product, Eco-Bags, Candy etc are made from banana fiber
Aurore et al. ( 2009); Oliveiro et al. (2007).
Banana plant: Musacea plants can be used to generate the energy
through decomposition Clarke et al. (2008) and use as a good
compositing material Ultra VU et al. (2005). Banana waste material
are rich in nutrients and minerals viz. Glucose, Xylose, Galactose,
Arabinose, Protein, Ash, Potassium, Calcium, Silicon, Megnesium ,
Pentosans, Starch etc Cordeiro et al. (2004) and Oliveria et al.
(2007). The banana plant is a very juicy aerial stem, properly
denoted as the pseudostem, which is clustered, cylindrical
aggregated comprised of leaf stalk bases of leaf -petiole sheathes
Mukhopadhyay et al. (2009).
There is also a subterranean stem known as corm, as well
as the part that support the banana fruit, named the stack or rachis.
Collectively, waste of banana production is an estimated
approximately 200 tones of by product per hectare annually Padam
et al. (2012). The bio refinery concept involves the integral and
diversified use of a fractionated lignocellulosic biomass to obtain a
wide variety of chemicals, added value product and bulk chemicals
Arshanitsa et al. (2013); Shi et al. (2013); Fiorentino et al. (2014);
Parinsen et al. (2014); Rincon et al. (2014).
Banana peel: According to the criteria established by the National
Cancer Standard Institute, banana peel extract is classified as non-
toxic to normal human cells therefore it can be safely utilized as a
natural source of antioxidant for value addition Someya et al. (2002).
Banana peel is a reach source of Starch (3%), crude protein ( 6-
9%), crude fat (3.8-11%), Emaga et al. (2008), total dietry fibre
(43-49.7%) and poly saturated fatty acid particularly linolic acid
and á linolic acid, pectin, essential amino acid like threonine, valine
phynylalanine and micro nutrients ( K, P, Ca and Mg) Emaga et al.
(2007). The skins of banana can also be used in extraction of
banana oil (Amyl acetate). Archibald et al. (1949) reported that can
be used in food flavouring. Banana peel also a good source of
lignin (6-12%), pectin (10-21%), cellulose (7.6-9.6%),
Hemicelluloses 6.4-9.4% and Galactouronine acid.
Pectin extracted from banana peel also contains a glucose,
galactose, arabinose, rhamnose and xylose Emaga et al. (2008).
Micro nutrients like (Fe and Zn) were found in higher concentration
in peels compare to pulps Davey et al. (2009). Banana peels can
also be used in preparation of wine Faturoti et al. (2006), peels also
used in ethanol production Tiwari et al. (1986) ; Castro et al. (1988)
as substrate for biogass production Ilori et al. (2007). Peel ash can
be used as fertilizer for banana plants and as a sources of alkali for
soap production Udosen et al. (2000). Ethanol extraction of M.
December, 2016
Yadav et al.
Sapientum peels can be used as an inhibitors for mild steel corrosion
Eddy et al. (2008). Peel can also be used in water waste treatment
plants Memon et al. (2008).
Banana leaves: Leaves are used extensively for weaving basket,
Mats, Food wrapper for marketing and cooking, covering over
food tablecloths and plates for eating as well as drinking soup.
Banana leaves are used in serve the food, packaging the food,
Decoration and health cure sprain. Banana leaves (ashes) are
used in eczema Okoli (2007). Solanke and Falade (2010) reported
that banana leaves are used in dysentery and diarrhea.
Medicinal Use of banana leaves Kumar et al. (2012)
reported that Banana leaves are used as a cool application for
headaches. Banana young leaves are used as dressings for skin
wounds to treat inflammation. Banana leaf ash can be mixed with
water and can be ingested as a treatment for diarrhea. Banana leaf
juice mixed with hot water and can be used for gargling.
Banana flowers: Banana flower is used to treat dysentery, ulcers,
and bronchitis. Cooked, flowers are considered a good food for
diabetics Kumar et al. (2012).
Bhaskar et al. (2011) reported that glucose uptake in Ehrlich
ascites tumor cells was stimulated by banana (Musa sp.) flower and
pseudostem extracts. China et al. (2011) reported that, the banana
flowers are a potential source of natural antioxidants. Bhaskar et al.
(2011) reported that diabetes is a chronic health problem and major
cause of death in most of the countries. Diet management plays an
important role in controlling diabetes and its complications along
with insulin and drugs. Diabetic symptoms like hyperglycemia,
polyuria, polyphagia, polydipsia, urine sugar, and body weight
were ameliorated in banana flower- and pseudostem-treated rats
.Banana flower is the purplish-red flowers growing at the end of the
long banana stem. It is rich in a variety of vitamins including vitamin
a and c, and it is also considered that to have the effect of alleviating
pains. In many Asian countries, it is usually served as a type of
vegetable as a part of people’s daily diet. The mature flower often
have hard husks on the outside. During religious and important
ceremonies such as weddings, the banana flowers are tied around
the head, for the believes this will bring good luck.
Although banana is a very important fruit which waste is
consume in the form of byproduct. The peel, plant, leaves, fiber,
pseudo-stem are the main waste products which reuse in the form
of by product. The banana peel is used in preparation of the wine,
poultry and cattle feed, based material of alcohol production, biogas
production and for pectin extraction. Banana pseudo stem is a very
good source of cellulose and its contains herbal medicinal properties
to human including pathogenesis protein and antimicrobial properties.
Banana flower is used to treat dysentery, ulcers, and bronchitis. So
all waste products of banana reuse in the form of by product which
play an important role in human life.
Acknowledgement
Authors are greatly thankful for the financial support provide
by U.P. Council of Agricultural Research, Lucknow.
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