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Antimicrobial Effect of Aqueous Banana Peel Extract, Iraq

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Research Gate: Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1 (2013) 73-75
* Corresponding author
✉: Zainab Adil Ghani Chabuck

Research Gate: Pharmaceutical Sciences www.iresearch.in

College of Nursing, Babylon University, Babylon province, Iraq 3 Al-Qassim Hospital, Babylon Province, Iraq
ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Keywords:
Fruit peels have been a valuable source for maintaining human health. The use of fruit peels Babana,
extracts for antimicrobial properties can be of great significance in therapeutic treatments. This Peel extract,
study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of banana's peel. The antibacterial effect of Antibacterial effect,
aqueous extracts of fresh yellow banana peels against 2 Gram-positive and 4 Gram-negative Inhibition zone,
bacterial and one yeast isolates, including S. aureus, S. pyogenes, E. aerogenes, K. pneumoniae, Musa sapientum.
E. coli, M. catarrhalis and candida albicanis, was carried out by the well-agar diffusion method. The water extract of fresh banana peel
showed a various inhibitory effect against various microbial isolates. Highest inhibitory effect against both M. catarrhalis and S. aureus
with 30
Article History: Received : 4th June 2013 Accepted : 24th June 2013 Available online :16th July 2013
mm inhibition zone, followed by S. pyogenes, E. aerogenes and K. pneumoniae with no effect against E. coli and candida albicanis.
Aqueous extracts of fresh yellow banana peels could be considered as a good antibacterial agent against both Gram positive and negative
bacteria to replace the synthetic medicines in tratment of diseases caused by these bacteria.
Introduction
The increasing failure of chemotherapeutics and antibiotic resistance exhibited by pathogenic microbial
infectious agents has led to the screening of several medicinal plants for potential antimicrobial activity.
They have a long evolution of resistance against microbial agents, which has lead to alternative directions
in drug development. Extracts of plants are getting more importance as they have the great potential
sources for microbial and viral inhibitors. Plant parts used for this purposes are bulb, gel, leaves, roots,
barks, peels etc 1. Different class of plant family and their respective parts has been used to treat threat
throughout human culture 2.
The reason for extensive use of plants as drugs may be the fact that plants are available everywhere,
wide range of medicinal plants and their distinct form and thus are procured without any trouble. Medicinal
plants have a long history of use and their use is widespread in both developing and under developed
countries 1.
Musa is genus from Zingiberales and family Musaceae; it includes bananas and plantains. There are
around 70 species of Musa with a broad variety of uses. The common was banana scientifically known as
Musa sapientum 3.
There are many composition of banana skin like enzymes such as polyphenoloxidase, pectin as gelling
agent and that the banana peel extract is used alone or combined with a cream or ointment, medicinal
benefits of the extract include relief of pain, swelling and itching 4, 5. Additionally,
Flavonoids, tannins, phlobatannins, alkaloids, glycosides and terpenoids were found to be present in the
peels of genus Musa. These phytochemicals have been reported to exert multiple biological and
pharmacological effects (antibacterial, antihypertensive, antidiabetic and anti- inflammatory activities). The
presence of these bioactive substances in banana peels therefore suggests that the peels possess
valuable medicinal potential yet to be explored. As the bioactive compounds contained in plants are
majorly responsible for their medicinal properties 6.
Moreover, Banana peel contains Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Gallocatechin, dopamine, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, â-
sitosterol, malic acid, succinic Acid, palmatic acid, Magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, fiber, Iron. Fatty
acids present in the Banana peel are responsible for their antimicrobial activity 7.
Different studies have been done on the various parts of banana plant in which performed the inhibitory
effect towards the food borne pathogens, hence banana plant should be considered to be a potential
natural source of antimicrobial as well as antioxidant agent 8.The aim of this study was to assess the
antimicrobial capacity of the aqueous extracts of fresh banana peels against different microbial isolates.
Banana peel was selected because of its cheap edible source.
Materials and Methods
Microbial isolates
Chabuck et al. Research Gate: Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1 (2013)
Different seven clinical microbial isolates 2 Gram positive
(Staphylococcu aureus, Streptococcus
pyogenes), 4 Gram negative (Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli and Moraxella
catarrhalis) and yeast (candida albicanis) were collected and identified by using conventional biochemical
tests and cultivated in pure culture, at microbiological laboratory/college of Medicine/ Babylon university.
Plants collection
Fresh bananas were obtained from the local market at Hilla City, Iraq, 2013. Bananas were washed in
running tap water in laboratory, surface sterilized with 70% alcohol, rinsed with sterile distilled water, then
peels were taken. Distilled water was boiled, peels were added to the water and left to cool. Later on,
these contents were mixed by the blender and filtered to remove the large, UN homogenized particles to
get clear aqueous extract. The extract was kept at 4°C until to be use.
In vitro antimicrobial activity testing using Agar well diffusion assay NCCLS 10
Loopfull growths from bacterial isolates were inoculated into nutrient broth incubated at 37 °C for 18 hours.
The bacterial suspensions were diluted with normal saline. Adjust the turbidity and compare with standard
tube (McFarland number 0.5) to yield a uniform suspension containing 1.5×108 CFU / ml. Dip cotton swab
into adjustment suspension and streak the entire Mueller- Hinton agar surface of plates and the plates
were left for one 5-15 minutes at room temperature to dry. Media were cut into well (5mm diameter) by
cork borer and add 0.1ml of the banana extract. The plates were incubated at 37 °C for overnight. The
size of zone of inhibition was measured from edge of well to the edge of inhibition of growth.
Results
The antibacterial prosperities of the aqueous extract of banana peel were initially evaluated by well
diffusion assay against different microbial isolates. The results are presented in (Figure-1) show that the
aqueous extract of banana peel exhibited a variable antimicrobial effect. These results showed that this
extract give a good inhibition effect against Gram-positive bacteria including S. aureus and S. pyogenes
with inhibition zone 30 and 18 mm respectively, with no effect against C. albicans.
Figure 1: Inhibition zone (mm) of microbial isolates by aqueous banana extract
Result showed inhibitory effect against Gram-negative bacteria with inhibition zone ranging from 10-30
mm, 74with high susceptibility of M. catarrhalis followed by E. aerogenes and K. pneumoniae except E.
coli which showed no susceptibility to banana peel extract.
Discussion
Several works have been done to evaluate the phytochemical compositions and antimicrobial activities of
different parts of diverse plants, with the aim of using these plants for the treatment of microbial infection
as possible alternatives to synthetic drugs to which many infectious microorganisms have developed
resistance 11. Effect of plant constituents can combat human and plant pathogenic bacteria, fungi and
viruses without toxic side effects and environmental hazards 12.
Lino et al., 13 results indicated that the tannins are present but the flavanoids are absent in the extract of
Musa sapientum L., Musaceae, epicarp, it is probable that the antimicrobial activity of the gel prepared
from banana peel is related to tannins and not to flavanoids. In addition, it has astringent action, with
ability to precipitate proteins, which may affect the bacterial peptidoglycan.
The inhibitory effect of aqueous banana extracts to Gram- positive bacteria in our study was agreed with
different studies. Ighodaro 11 demonstrated that the aqueous extract of M. paradisiaca (one of banana
types) gave an antibacterial effect (against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis)
more than antifungal. Banana skin can be applied directly to burn or boil for a good healing effect 14.
The consumption of this fruit is great because of their nutritional value; its shell has been studied for
treatment of gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhea, gastritis and gastric ulcers) 15 and commonly is used to
treat wounds, especially in nipple fissures that arise during breastfeeding that mainly caused by
Staphylococcus aureus 16. Additionally, Lino et al., 13 banana peel gel inhibited the growth of
enterobacteria and pyogenic bacteria. Aldean et al., 17 showed that aqueous extraction of banana skin
exhibited a variable degree of antibacterial activity against Gram positive and negative bacterial isolates
causing gingivitis including streptococcus species.
Sumathy7 studied the antifungal and antimicrobial properties of yellow banana fruit peel and found that it is
effective against different Gram positive and negative bacteria. As well as it can be of great significance in
therapeutic treatments. Thus, more studies can be taken up in the future pertaining to the use of plant
extracts as therapeutic agents especially those related to the control of antibiotic resistant microbes.
High susceptibility of K. pneumoniae, E. aerogenes and resistance of E. coli to banana peel extract were
agreed with the results of Fapohunda et al., 18 and Bankar et al., 19 respectively. Some workers said that
banana should be considered to be a good source of natural antioxidant and antibacterial and these
criteria can be used to produce natural dyes extracted from banana peel to color cotton fabrics and protect
them from bacterial effects 20. In addition to that banana peel extract not only inhibit the non-spore forming
bacteria but also certain studies
Chabuck et al. Research Gate: Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1 (2013)
conclude that unidentified substance extracted from
banana skin has been shown to inhibit Closteridiam
sporangium and other gram negative spore forming bacteria by using plate biological assay, the unknown
substance demonstrate inhibitory effects at pH values as high as 7.5 17.
Conclusion
Aqueous extracts of fresh yellow banana peels could be considered as a good antibacterial agent against
both Gram positive and negative bacteria to replace the synthetic medicines in treatment of diseases
caused by these bacteria.
Acknowledgements
We are extremely thankful to the College of Medicine, Babylon University for providing all the needed
facilities, which are essential for successful completion of the present work.
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