Bananas (Musa spp) are sources of income and food for people who have
been cultivating them all over the world. Banana is assumed to be a fruit with
nutraceutical properties, mainly the pulp which is worldwide consumed. In the
traditional medicine of some countries the treatment of burn wounds and the prevention
of depression, for example, have been reported by compounds from banana peel.
Banana peel is an under-explored waste from the food industry and could be considered
a source of bioactive compounds with potential application in health care, for instance.
This chapter provides updated information about Musa spp fruit and peel as chemically
complex matrices sources of high-value secondary metabolites with claimed health
promoters properties. Bananas are source of antioxidant compounds such as phenolic
acids, biogenic amines (i.e., L-dopa and dopamine), and pro-vitamin A carotenoids,
which are important for the treatment of wounds, Parkinson’s disease, and as dietary
supplement, respectively. Therefore, the pulp and peel of banana fruits are biomasses
riches in human health promoters compounds with biotechnological importance.
Keywords: Amine compounds, Bioactive compounds, Carotenoids, Flavonoids,
Musa spp, Parkinson’s disease, Phenolic compounds, Pro-vitamin A, Wound
healing.
