The Antioxidant Potential of Musa Acuminata and Their Therapeutic Applications - A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis

Abstract

Background:

Musa acuminata is a widely consumed fruit with a rich phytochemical profile, particularly known for its antioxidant potential. With increasing demand for natural alternatives to synthetic antioxidants due to safety and efficacy concerns, a comprehensive synthesis of available evidence on Musa acuminata’s antioxidant efficacy is warranted. Based on antioxidant activity, this systematic review and meta-analysis seeks to determine the most powerful Musa acuminata subspecies, plant sections, and extract types.

Methods:

The protocol (CRD42023485743) was registered in PROSPERO. Included were in vitro studies that looked into the antioxidant qualities of extracts from the peel or pulp of Musa acuminata and were published in English. Studies involving non-antioxidants, non-Musa acuminata species, case reports, reviews, and clinical or animal research were all excluded. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched through November 2024. Two reviewers independently carried out the study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias evaluation (using the QUIN tool). RevMan 5.3 was used to do the meta-analysis, which used an inverse variance approach and a random-effects model.

Results:

From 13,951 records, eight in vitro studies met inclusion criteria. While peel extracts from Musa acuminata red dacca and colla showed relatively higher antioxidant activity trends, the meta-analysis found no statistically significant difference between these subspecies due to high heterogeneity and limited data. DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP were the tests that were most commonly utilised.

Conclusion:

Among the assessed Musa acuminata subspecies, red dacca and colla both appeared to demonstrate relatively higher antioxidant activity. However, due to high heterogeneity, small sample size, and the lack of statistical significance (SMD = 4.50, 95% CI: -7.16 to 16.16; p = 0.24), no definitive conclusions can be drawn. Further standardized in vitro studies and comprehensive in vivo/clinical trials are necessary to verify these preliminary findings.