Extractive Value, Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Properties of Plantain (Musa Paradisiaca) Flower Extracts

Abstract

The aim of this work is to establish the extractive value of solvents for bioactive ingredients and investigate the phytochemical constituents and antioxidant properties of plantain flower and its solvent extracts. The plantain flower was obtained washed, rinsed, air-dried, ground, sieved and extracted using six solvents and the extractive values of each solvent were calculated. The highest extractive value (16.026±0.007%) was obtained in water extract, followed by ethyl acetate extract with 13.850±0.005% while the least extractive values (1.347±0.000%) was obtained in chloroform extract. Alkaloid and terpenoid were present in all the solvent extracts. Cardiac glycoside, tannin, phenol and phlobotannin were not present in all the solvent extracts. Flavonoid was found in methanol extract while reducing sugar was detected in acetone, chloroform and water extracts. Quinone and volatile oil were found in ethyl acetate and acetone extract respectively. Steroid was present in acetone, ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts. The total flavonoids (mg/100g) in raw sample, ethyl acetate and water extracts of plantain flower were 0.045±0.001, 0.034±0.000 and 0.047±0.002 respectively. The total phenol (mg/100g) in raw sample, ethyl acetate and water extracts of plantain flower were 0.097±0.002, 0.065±0.001 and 0.043±0.001 accordingly. The iron chelating (%) were 24.75±0.12, 22.55±0.09, 22.56±0.07 in raw sample, ethyl acetate and water extracts of plantain flower. The ferric reducing antioxidant power in raw sample, ethyl acetate and water extracts of plantain flower were 0.29±0.01, 0.47±0.00 and 0.22±0.02. The plant raw sample and its extracts possess reasonable results that can make it serve as a source of natural antioxidants.