Medicinal plants serve as valuable sources for drug development. Musa acuminata, commonly known as the banana plant, plays a vital role in tropical agriculture and traditional medicine due to its rich phytochemical profile, including phenolic compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids. This study aims to evaluate the active fraction of Musa acuminata for acute oral toxicity and anti-inflammatory activity through animal studies and to isolate and characterize its phytoconstituents from the roots extract. Dried Musa acuminata roots were extracted using solvents of varying polarity (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, ethanol and water via the hot extraction method. All the extracts were selected for phytochemical analysis, and in vitro antioxidant assays. The active extracts were further subjected to isolation of active constituents using column chromatography. Acute oral toxicity was assessed per OECD guidelines, and anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. The active compound was characterized using UV, IR, HPTLC, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and Mass spectroscopy techniques. Phytochemical analysis of extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, phytosterols, saponins, tannins, and flavonoids. The fraction isolated from column chromatography exhibited strong antioxidant activity with low IC₅₀ values. No toxicity was observed, and the fractions showed significant anti-inflammatory effects. The isolated bioactive compound was identified as lupeol through spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques.
Keywords: Musa acuminata, roots, lupeol, antioxidant activity, acute oral toxicity, anti-inflammatory activity.
How to cite this article: Sonawane A, Bhambar R, Nehete J, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profiling of Musa acuminata Roots Family: Musaceae. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2025;15(4): 1677-1691, DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.15.4.19