Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant and Gastro Protective Activity Studies on the Fruit Peels of Selected Varieties of Banana

Background and aim: gastric ulcer is a chronic health condition of the gastrointestinal tract with increasing incidence and prevalence affecting both male and female population globally. there are a variety of drugs usedin the treatment of this disease, but they are costly and exhibit limited efficacy, and cause adverse reactions. hence, the present study aimed to screen the phytochemicals, antioxidant and anti-ulcer activities of the ethanolic fruit peel extracts of m. acuminata colla, m. paradisiaca l., and m. acuminata colla cv. señorita.materials and methods: the determination of total phenolics and flavonoids were performed using conventional methods. the free radical scavenging activity of the extracts was investigated using the dpph (1, 1-diphenyl-2 -picrylhydrazyl). moreover, the anti-ulcer activity was examined using three ulcer models in rats.results: the total phenolic contents of the peel extracts ranged from 12.3 to 40.3 mg gallic acid equivalents (gae)/g dry weight (dw), whereas the flavonoid content ranged from 2.5 to 16.6 mg gae/g dw. the results indicated that the peel extracts exhibited free radical scavenging capacity (dpph) that ranged from 51.52 to 72.00% at the concentration of 100 μg/ml. moreover, the peel extracts showed gastroprotective activities against alcohol, drug, and stress-induced ulcers in rats. the maximum percentage of ulcer inhibition of the peel extracts against ethanol-induced ulcer was 83.33, whereas it was 100% against both aspirin and cold restraint stress-induced ulcers.conclusion: the obtained results suggest that the fruit peel extracts of m. acuminata colla, m. paradisiaca l., and m. acuminata colla cv. señorita have antioxidant capacities. they also exhibited anti-ulcer activities, and contained active compounds that are potentially responsible for its biological and pharmacological properties. likewise, further explorations of the peel extracts are required, for the plant examined in this research is a promising plant potentially applicable in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.