Objectives: Extracts of parts Musa spp. have been used for the treatment of various diseases in traditional medicine. Studies have shown that these extracts have hypoglycaemic properties. The aim of this work was to gather evidence on the antidiabetic effects of Musa spp. inflorescence.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted with searches in three electronic databases, along with manual searches. Studies evaluating the antidiabetic properties of extracts of flower or bract of the genus Musa (in vitro or in vivo) were included.
Key findings: Overall, 16 studies were found. The reported assays were of hypoglycaemic effects, oral glucose tolerance, inhibitory activities in carbohydrate metabolism and digestive enzymes, enhanced glucose uptake activity and popular use of the extract in patients with diabetes type 2. In vitro studies showed that use of the extract was associated with antidiabetic effects (e.g. increased glucose uptake and inhibition of carbohydrate digestion enzymes). In induced diabetic models, Musa spp. extracts showed dose-dependent glycaemic level reductions compared with pharmacological drugs (P < 0.05).
Summary: In general, promising results regarding antidiabetic activity were found for inflorescence of Musa spp., suggesting that this plant could represent a natural alternative therapy for treating diabetes mellitus type 2.
Keywords: banana flower; biological activity; diabetes mellitus; hypoglycaemic activity.
© 2018 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.