Musa x paradisiaca

Scientific name: Musa x paradisiaca L.

Botanical family: MUSACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

Barbados:

banana

Haiti:

bannan matenten

Dominican Republic:

rulo

Other vernacular names

Dominica:

Banana o bannie

Haiti:

Bannann
Bannann matenten
Bannann ou Bannann vensan
Bannann polo

Cuba:

Plátano

Dominican Republic:

Rulo (seco)

Geographical distribution

Native to the Old World tropics, cultivated in tropical regions all over the world.

Botanical description

Plant of 6 to 10 m, stoloniferous. Petiolate leaves of up to 2 m, arranged in a spiral, simple, entire, broadly elliptical, penninervate. Spiciform inflorescences growing from the corm through the pseudostem, recurve-hanging; white-yellowish flowers, on peaks along the main axis, covered by large bracts. Cylindrical fruit of up to 30 cm, yellow or greenish when ripe.

Voucher(s)

Faujour,7,BAR

Jiménez,691,JBSD

Longuefosse&Nossin,24,HAVPM

asthenia, weakness

fruit pulp, broth with salt, orally²

asthenia, weakness

fruit pulp, cooked, orally²

injury, sore

fruit pulp, natural, applied locally²

diarrhoea

fruit pulp, orally^2-3

diarrhoea

stem sap (latex), with salt, orally²

injury, sore

fruit peel sap (latex) ("mancha"), applied locally^2-3

rheumatism

leaf, warmed, applied locally²

inflammation

leaf, decoction, bath⁴

The fruit of Musa x paradisiaca is a relatively widespread food for human consumption and the leaf of the plant is used in food production.

For asthenia or weakness:

prepare a broth with the pulp of 1 green fruit chopped in 3 cups (¾ litre) of water with ¾ teaspoon of salt (3 grams), boil for 10 minutes in a covered container. Allow to cool and drink 1 cup of the broth and/or consume ½ cooked fruit twice a day.

For diarrhoea:

ingest the pulp of 1 boiled green fruit or ½ teaspoon (2.5 cc) of the stem latex with a pinch of salt, 2 to 3 times a day for 3 days.

For injuries or sores:

wash and peel the fruit adequately to obtain the pulp and/or collect the latex from the peel (= shell = epicarp) of the fruit of the green banana, both in sufficient quantities to cover the injury; grate the pulp and apply to the injury previously washed with boiled water and soap, or apply the collected latex directly, cover with a clean dressing or cloth and change every 4 hours.

For inflammation:

prepare a decoction with 100-200 grams of chopped leaves in 4 cups (1 litre) of water, boil for 10 minutes in a covered vessel. Allow to cool, strain (filter) and wash or bathe the affected area 2 or 3 times a day²¹.

For rheumatism:

wash 1 leaf adequately, heat it by passing it over a flame, take the amount necessary to cover the affected area and apply to the area 4 times a day.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

The use for asthenia and weakness is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys and the scientific information published.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or the asthenia or weakness persists for more than 7 days in adults and 2 days in children, seek medical attention.

The use for diarrhoea is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys, the toxicity studies and the scientific information published.

The use of this resource in cases of diarrhoea should be considered complementary to oral rehydration therapy. If deterioration is observed in the patient (dehydration with dry tongue, decreased skin turgor, oliguria or crying without tears), seek immediate medical attention. If the diarrhoea persists for more than 3 days in adults or more than 2 days in children older than 3 years of age, seek medical attention.

The use for wounds, sores, inflammation and rheumatism is classified as REC based on the traditional experience in the documented significant use in the TRAMIL surveys, the validation and the toxicity studies.

All topical application must follow strict hygiene measures in order to prevent contamination or additional infection.

If deterioration is observed in the patient, seek medical attention. Not for use in children under 6 months.

TRAMIL Work¹⁷

The freeze-dried stem latex or sap (120 mg/day) orally in humans was not toxic.

TRAMIL Work^18-19

The latex of the green fruit (0.5 ml) and the pulp of the ripe fruit (500 mg), was applied topically for 4 hours on a 5 cm² area in the model of dermal irritation on injured skin of 3 New Zealand rabbits for 5 consecutive days; a primary irritation index of 0.42 and 0.09 was obtained during the 11 day observation period, and both products were considered to be non-irritant.

TRAMIL Work²⁰

The heated leaf was applied directly topically (for 4 hours on an area of 5 cm²) in the model of dermal irritation on healthy skin of 3 New Zealand rabbits for 5 consecutive days. No alteration or irritation was shown during the 11-day observation period.

There is no information available documenting the safety of medicinal use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The leaf is rich in organic acids: citric, malic, glutamic, oxalic, pyruvic and succinic⁵. Tetracyclic triterpenoids were observed in the inflorescence. The peel and fruit pulp contain serotonin and dopamine^6-7.

The fruit also contains norepinephrine⁸ and in its mature state it is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium and sodium.

The whole plant contains a large quantity of tannins, especially the sap from the stem⁹.

Proximate analysis of 100 g of the fruit¹⁰: calories: 72; water: 79.2%; protein: 1.8%; fat: 0.2%; carbohydrates: 18%; fibre:

0.2%; ash: 0.8%; calcium: 10 mg; phosphorus: 24 mg; iron: 1.3 mg; sodium: 18 mg; potassium: 435 mg; carotene: 80 µg; thiamine: 0.03 mg; riboflavin: 0.04 mg; niacin: 0.60 mg; ascorbic acid: 8 mg.

TRAMIL Work¹¹

The aqueous extract (30% decoction) from fresh leaves (1, 5 and 10 g/kg) was administered orally in male OF-1 mice (20-25 g), 10 animals/group, acetic acid-induced contortion model (0.75%), intraperitoneally (0.1 ml/10 g) and tail flick by immersion in hot water (55 ^oC). The decoction (1, 5 and 10 g/kg) showed significant analgesic activity in the contortion model and did not significantly modify the response in the tail-flick model. TRAMIL Work¹²

The aqueous extract (30% decoction) from fresh leaves (10 μl on each side of both ears) topically in male OF-1 mice (6 animals/group); croton-oil induced ear oedema model (10 μl/2.5 ml acetone), 10 μl dose on both sides of the right ear; on the left ear 10 μl of acetone were applied in the same way, the positive control group received dexamethasone (5 mg/ml acetone), dose of 0.05 mg/each side of both ears; the negative control group received croton oil on the right ear and acetone in the left ear under the same conditions; treatments applied 1 min. after the croton oil. The decoction inhibited the inflammatory response 31.5% and dexamethasone 87.83%.

TRAMIL Work¹³

The fresh juice, 30% from the ripe fruit (doses of 1 and 10 g of plant material/kg), orally in male OF-1 mice (20-25 g), 10 animals/group, intestinal transit model with 10% activated carbon (0.1 ml/10 g), did not significantly modify the intestinal transit.

The fresh fruit pulp (0.2 ml/agar plate) showed in vitro activity against Bacillus cereus, B. coagulans, B. stearothermophilus and Clostridium sporogenes¹⁴.

The tannins are attributed with astringent and antiseptic activity¹⁵.

Ascorbic acid is attributed with antiscorbutic and antioxidant properties¹⁶.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

SIMMONDS NW, 1962

The evolution of the bananas. London, England: Longmans, Green & Co. Ltd. p170.

WENIGER B, ROUZIER M, 1986

Enquête TRAMIL. Service Oecuménique d’Entraide SOE, Port au Prince, Haïti.

FAUJOUR A, MURREY D, CHELTENHAM B, CARRINGTON S, 2003

TRAMIL survey. enda-caribbean, IICA & UAG, Saint Thomas, Barbados.

GERMOSEN-ROBINEAU L, GERONIMO M, AMPARO C, 1984

Encuesta TRAMIL. enda-caribe, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana.

PALMER J, WYMAN H, 1965

Organic acids in banana leaves. Phytochemistry 4(2):305-309.

WONG W, 1976

Some folk medicinal plants from Trinidad. Econ Bot 30:103-142.

DUTTA PK, DAS AK, BANERJI N, 1983

A tetracyclic triterpenoid from Musa paradisiaca. Phytochemistry 22(11):2563-2564.

WILLAMAN JJ, HUI-LIN L, 1970

Alkaloid-bearing plants and their contained alkaloids, 1957-1968. Lloydia 33(3A)Supp.

FRIESE FW, 1934

Plantas medicinais brasileiras. Sao Paulo, Brasil: Inst Agro do Estado Sao Paulo. p252- 494.

DUKE JA, ATCHLEY AA, 1986

Handbook of proximate analysis tables of higher plants. Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press.

11 MORON FJ, GARCIA AI, VICTORIA MC, MOREJON Z, LOPEZ M, BACALLAO Y, FUENTES V, 2008

Acción analgésica oral de la decocción de hojas frescas de Musa x paradisiaca L. (plátano) en ratones. Trabajo TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología. Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana.

FRIAS AI, GARCIA N, MOREJON Z, MORON F, VICTORIA MC, 2009

Efecto antiinflamatorio tópico de la decocción de hojas frescas de Musa x paradisiaca

L. (plátano) en el edema de la oreja inducido por aceite de Croton en ratones. Trabajo TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología. Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana.

MORON FJ, MOREJON Z, VICTORIA MC, BACALLAO Y, FUENTES V, 2009

Acción sobre el tránsito intestinal del zumo fresco del fruto maduro de Musa x paradisiaca L. (plátano) en ratones. Trabajo TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología. Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana.

RICHTER E, VORE L, 1989

Antimicrobial activity of banana puree. Food Microbiol 6(3):179-187.

ALONSO J, 1998

Tratado de fitomedicina: bases clínicas y farmacológicas. Buenos Aires, Argentina: ISIS ediciones SRL. pp125-126.

NEGWER M, 1987

Organic chemical drugs and their synonyms (an international survey). 6th ed. Berlin, Germany: Akademie Verlag.

CARBALLO A, 1995

Plantas medicinales del Escambray cubano. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio provincial de producción de medicamentos, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba.

PAZOS L, COTO T, CAIZA F, 2009

Irritación dérmica, piel lesionada en conejos, de la savia del fruto verde de Musa paradisiaca. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos, LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

PAZOS L, COTO T, CAIZA F, 2009

Irritación dérmica, piel lesionada en conejos, del mesodermo del fruto maduro de Musa paradisiaca. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos, LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

PAZOS L, COTO T, CAIZA F, 2009

Irritación dérmica, piel sana en conejos, porción de hoja calentada de Musa paradisiaca. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos, LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

CARBALLO A, 1995

Cálculo de concentración y dosis de las drogas vegetales TRAMIL: Mensuraciones farmacognósticas y aproximaciones técnico-clínicas. Laboratorio provincial de producción de medicamentos, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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Musa x paradisiaca

Vernacular names

Barbados:

Haiti:

Dominican Republic:

Dominica:

Haiti:

Cuba:

Dominican Republic:

Geographical distribution

Botanical description

Voucher(s)

Pharmacopoeia

References

Disclaimer