Cavendish Banana; history,nutrients, phytochemicals, health benefits, clinical studies

1. FOOD AS MEDICINE:
CAVENDISH BANANA
US # 1 SELLING FRUIT
By
Kevin KF Ng, MD, PhD.
Former Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Clinical Pharmacology
University of Miami, Miami, FL.,USA
Email: kevinng68@gmail.com
A Slide Presentation for HealthCare Professional Feb 2021

2. Outline of Presentation
▪ What is a Cavendish banana.
▪ History
▪ Global production
▪ Scientific classification
▪ Macro and micro-nutrients
▪ Phytochemicals
▪ Clinical studies
▪ Uses & banana-drug interaction
▪ Summary

3. What is a Cavendish banana
▪ Cavendish banana fruits have no seeds.
▪ Do not sexually reproduce.
▪ Are genetically identical.
▪ Three sets of chromosomes (triploid).
▪ Over 100 million metric tons produced
annually in over 130 tropical and
subtropical countries.
▪ Cavendish banana accounts for 47 percent
of global production.
▪ Panama disease, which killed Gros Michel
species, has new strain which is attacking
the Cavendish bananas

4. HISTORY

5. Origins of the ancestors of modern edible bananas.
Musa acuminata is shown in green and Musa balbisiana in orange.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana#/media/File:Banana_ances
tors_(Musa_acuminata_and_Musa_balbisiana)_original_range.png

6. Dissemination of the banana Cavendish cultivars from
Southeast Asia to the rest of the world.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Dissemination-of-the-banana-Cavendish-
cultivars-from-Southeast-Asia-to-the-rest-of-the_fig7_249303227/download

7. Sir Joseph Paxton who cultivated the Cavendish banana in
United Kingdom 1834
▪ Sir Joseph Paxton was an English gardener, architect and Member of Parliament,
best known for designing the Crystal Palace and for cultivating the Cavendish
banana, the most consumed banana in the Western world.

8. VARIETIES OF BANANAS

9. Two major species of edible bananas

10. Varieties of Bananas from Around the World
Cavendish Bananas Gros Michel (Big Mike) Bananas Burro Bananas Manzano Bananas (Apple Bananas)
Lady Finger Bananas Red Bananas Blue Java Bananas Rajapuri Bananas Plantains
https://leafyplace.com/types-of-bananas/

11. GLOBAL PRODUCTION

12. World production of bananas in 2019, by region
(in 1,000 metric tons)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/264003/production-of-bananas-worldwide-by-region/

13. The #1 best-selling fruit in the United States in 2019
https://www.statista.com/statistics/477475/us-most-consumed-fruit-and-fruit-products-by-
type/#:~:text=Americans%20consume%20a%20variety%20of,purchased%20fruit%20among%
20U.S.%20consumers.

14. SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION,
PUBLICATIONS
RIPENING COLOR CHANGES

15. Banana classification according to (Simmonds, 1966 and Robinson, 1996)

16. Number of articles “Banana” in PubMed from
1887 to 2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=bananas

17. 7 stages of banana ripening
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/293226625707994354/

18. NUTRIENTS
MACRONUTRIENTS
MICRONUTRIENTS
PHYTOCHEMICALS

19. Nutrient composition of pulp and peel in a banana
Peel
Pulp
(35%) of ripe fruit

20. Macronutrients in a raw banana
75%
23%
75%
23%
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173944/nutrients

21. Micronutrient (minerals) in a raw banana
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173944/nutrients
Potassium

22. Micronutrient (vitamins) in raw banana
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173944/nutrients
Vitamin B-6
Vitamin C
Choline
Vitamin C
Choline is an organic, water-soluble compound. It is neither a vitamin nor a mineral.
However, it is often grouped with the vitamin B complex due to its similarities.

23. Phytochemical Analysis of Banana Pseudo Stem (Musa acuminata)
Adapted from British Journal of Pharmaceutical Research 10(1): 1-9, 2016, Article no.BJPR.22593

24. Phytochemical composition of a banana fruit
Peel
Pulp
https://www.intechopen.com/books/banana-nutrition-function-and-
processing-kinetics/banana-bioactives-absorption-utilisation-and-health-
benefits

25. PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOUNDS

26. #1 Phytochemical compounds in a banana

27. #2 Phytochemical compounds in a banana

28. #3 Phytochemical compounds in a banana

29. #4 Phytochemical compounds in a banana

30. #5 Phytochemical compounds in a banana

31. Compositions of alkaloid, saponin, tannin, phenol and flavonoid
in three Musa species at different stages of development (2016)
Adapted from http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jpbs/papers/Vol11-issue3/Version-4/J1103044859.pdf

32. FUNCTIONS OF PHYTOCHEMICLAS

33. Functions of bioactive compounds in a banana fruit
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33172028/

34. Ripening and cooking processes influence the carotenoid
content in bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) 2018
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996918306288
pro-vitamin A carotenoids

35. Functions of carotenoids from banana

36. Functions of Phenolic acids and Flavonoids from banana
General flavonoid structure
Flavonoid

37. Functions of Tannins in unripe banana

38. Functions of saponins from banana
Fat soluble triterpene
Water soluble carbohydrate chain

39. Functions of phytosterols from banana
cholesterol
β-sitosterol

40. METABOLISM OF PHYTOCHEMICALS

41. Metabolism of Banana Bioactive Compounds
▪ The banana fruit contains nutrients in its pulp and peel with beneficial properties.
▪ Unripe banana consists of indigestible compounds, resistant starch and dietary
fibers. The starchy fruit degrades to fructose and sucrose when ripe, thus reducing
its starch content.
▪ Resistant starch, an indigestible compound, escapes absorption in the small
intestine and is transported to the large intestine where degradation takes place.
▪ Polyphenols, present in minute concentration in the fruit, functions as antioxidants,
thus contributing to the prevention of metabolic degenerative diseases.
▪ Polyphenols are extensively metabolized by the liver and colonic microflora.
https://www.intechopen.com/books/banana-nutrition-function-and-processing-
kinetics/banana-bioactives-absorption-utilisation-and-health-benefits

42. CLINICAL STUDIES
Results are inconsistent
More studies are needed

43. Blood sugar levels in response to bananas are highly individual (2015)
https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/103898.php

44. Glycemic index of the four banana species in both the
diabetics and the non-diabetics subjects (2019)
http://www.phytopharmajournal.com/Vol8_Issue6_03.pdf
(BAN1)=Musa sapientum
(BAN2)=Diploid Musa acuminate “Cavendish subgroup”
(BAN3)=Musa paradisiacal
(BAN4)=Musa acuminata “Red Dacca”

45. Beneficial effects of green banana biomass consumption in patients
with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes:
a 6-month randomised controlled trial (2019)
green banana control control
green banana
before after before after before after before after
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114519000576

46. Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes:
results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies (2013)
https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f5001
Greater consumption of specific whole fruits, particularly
blueberries, grapes, and apples, is significantly associated
with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas greater
consumption of fruit juice is associated with a higher risk.

47. Effect of daily consumption of banana (500 g) on
blood pressure of hypercholesterolemic subjects (2014)
Adapted from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25651610/

48. Effect of daily consumption of banana (500 g) on
lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic subjects (2014)
Adapted from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25651610/

49. USES, ALLERGY AND SIDE EFFECTS

50. Uses of banana fruit
▪ Culinary
▪ In popular culture and commerce, "banana" usually refers to soft, sweet "dessert"
bananas that are usually eaten raw.
▪ Bananas may also be dried and eaten as a snack food.
▪ Dried bananas are also ground into banana flour.
▪ Cooking bananas are very similar to potatoes in how they are used. Both can be
▪ fried,
▪ boiled,
▪ baked, or
▪ chipped and have similar taste and texture when served.
▪ Fiber for textile and paper
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Banana

51. Allergy to bananas
▪ There are two established forms of allergy to bananas.
▪ One is oral allergy syndrome, which causes itching and
swelling in the mouth or throat within one hour after
ingestion and is related to birch tree and other pollen
allergies.
▪ The other is related to latex allergies and causes
urticaria and potentially serious upper gastrointestinal
symptoms
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Banana

52. Banana-Drug interactions
▪ Banana has high level of potassium in the pulp and is commonly used to replace
potassium lost from the body.
▪ Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE inhibitor) e.g. lisinopril raises blood potassium.
▪ Excessive intake of bananas whilst on ACE inhibitor may cause hyperkalemia which
affects the heart rhythm.

53. SUMMARY

54. Summary
▪ Cavendish banana is a fruit belonging to the Musa species.
▪ It is sterile and propagated by runners or meristem culture.
▪ It is cultivated in about 130 countries and accounts for 47% of
global production.
▪ It is rich in vitamin C, potassium and phytochemicals.
▪ The carotenoids, phenolics, phytosterols are beneficial for
health.
▪ The results of a limited number of clinical studies are mixed.
▪ Nevertheless, the bananas have been used as food for
thousands of years.

55. ANY QUESTION?
Please contact
Kevin KF Ng, MD, PHD
Email: kevinng68@gmail.com