Qualitative phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis of Musa sapientum Spadix

Globally different species of banana have captured a unique niche in social, economic, ethno-pharmaceutical and culinary realms. In this context, the phytochemical content of aqueous and methanolic extracts of powdered samples of the spadix of Musa sapientum (Athiya kol) collected from Bajali area, Assam, India was analyzed. Analyses of the methanolic extracts showed the presence of Saponin, alkaloid, tannin, Coumarin, Phytosterol, flavonoid, sterols and steroids while that of the aqueous extract attested the presence of Saponin, alkaloid, phytosterol, phenol, sterols and steroids. All these secondary metabolites are envisaged to contribute to the therapeutic importance of spadix of Musa sapientum in various ways. The GC-MS analysis of the methanolic extract of the spadix showed the presence of phenols, Vitamins, Phytosterols etc. as the principal components. These constituents are known for their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritis, anti-rheumatoid, anti-auto-immune disease, anti-allergy, anti-platelet aggregation, anticancerous and antioxidant property could thus be extracted from the spadix of Musa Sapientum, a locally available bio resource.