Nutritional functions of banana and comprehensive utilization of its by-products: A review

Banana is a globally important economic crop and staple food source. Besides nutrition, its fruit and by-products are rich in bioactive components, including polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, carotenoids and so on. These components provide notable pharmacological benefits for the human body, including antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-ulcer, antibacterial, and antidepressant activities. Although great progress has been made in research on the nutrition, functional components, and processed products of banana fruits and their by-products, existing literature still lacks a systematic review of this field. This work first summarizes the banana's nutritional and functional properties and the action mechanisms of their bioactive components. Second, it outlines the effects of variety, tissue/organ type, and maturity stage on the content of bioactive components. Third, it reviews the current status of processed products and the progress in the comprehensive utilization of banana and by-products in areas including bioactive component extraction, food ingredients, green biomaterials, feed, fertilizer, and wastewater treatment. Finally, this review recommends that future research should focus on in-depth elucidation of action mechanisms of bioactive components; development of novel functional foods; innovation and optimization of deep processing technologies; high-value utilization of by-products. These efforts will collectively promote the sustainable development of banana industry.