Banana was one of the first crops cultivated in the history of agriculture, it is a native plant of India and New Guinea and it is the second fruit in terms of quantity harvested in the world, with a volume of 139 million tons.
It belongs to the family of Musaceae.
The biggest producers are : India, China, Uganda, Ecuador, Philippines, Nigeria, Brazil.
The bananas we buy today are involved in a rather complex hybridization procedure. The most common cultivars:
- Musa Cavendish (about 45% of global banana market)
- Musa acuminata
- Musa balbisiana
- Musa x paradisiaca
- Musa sapientum (red banana)
- Musa basjoo (dwarf banana)
Banana is among the most popular fruits in the world due to its attractive color, flavor, sweetness and texture.
Bananas are generally harvested in the ripe green phase and shipped to wholesale markets, where they are then treated with ethylene to stimulate ripening; this treatment results in a rapid colour change from green to yellow and the development of a 'fruity' taste if stored at 16-24° C (1). In another family of bananas (Musa group AAA) chlorophyll degradation occurs at 35° C (2).
It contains carotenoids (mainly beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lutein), phenolic compounds, phytosterols (3) that have antioxidant properties.
Musa spp. leaves were used as a remedy against tuberculosis in traditional Mayan medicine and their use, in the form of methanolic extract, as an antibacterial has recently been confirmed (4).
Despite its less attractive appearance, green banana would have a higher content of compounds useful for the human body (5).
Since banana have a good potassium content, it is thought that a continuous intake of bananas can relieve muscle cramps associated with physical exercise. However, this study considers it unlikely (6).
Another popular belief attributes banana intake to improvements in blood sugar and cholesterol. Although it remains to be confirmed with a larger group of volunteers, this pilot study showed that the daily consumption of bananas (@ 250 g/day) did not bring significantly appreciable results (7).
Banana studies
References_________________________________________
(1) Seymour GB, John P, Thompson AK. Inhibition of degreening in the peel of bananas ripened at tropical temperatures.
I. Effect of high temperature on changes in the pulp and peel during ripening. Ann Appl Biol 1987
(2) Yang X, Pang X, Xu L, Fang R, Huang X, Guan P et al. Accumulation of soluble sugars in peel at high temperature leads to stay-green ripe banana fruit. J Exp Botany 2009; 60: 4051–4062
(3) Variability of carotenoids in a Musa germplasm collection and implications for provitamin A biofortification. Amah D, Alamu E, Adesokan M, van Biljon A, Maziya-Dixon B, Swennen R, Labuschagne M. Food Chem X. 2019 Apr 8;2:100024. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2019.100024.
(4) Bactericidal Effect of the Leaf Extract from Musa spp. (AAB Group, Silk Subgroup), cv. "Manzano" Against Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Molina-Salinas GM, Uc-Cachón AH, Peña-Rodríguez LM, Dzul-Beh AJ, Escobedo Gracía-Medrano RM. J Med Food. 2019 Jul 10. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2019.0075.
(5) Health Benefits of Green Banana Consumption: A Systematic Review. Falcomer AL, Riquette RFR, de Lima BR, Ginani VC, Zandonadi RP. Nutrients. 2019 May 29;11(6). pii: E1222. doi: 10.3390/nu11061222.
(6) Plasma potassium concentration and content changes after banana ingestion in exercised men. Miller KC. J Athl Train. 2012 Nov-Dec;47(6):648-54. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-47.6.05.
(7) Daily consumption of banana marginally improves blood glucose and lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic subjects and increases serum adiponectin in type 2 diabetic patients. Cressey R, Kumsaiyai W, Mangklabruks A. Indian J Exp Biol. 2014 Dec;52(12):1173-81.
Banana 
3-β-D-glucopyranoside
