IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF UNRIPE PLANTAIN (MUSA PARADISIACA)

ABSTRACT Oxidative stress, driven by an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants, is implicated in the pathogenesis of various chronic diseases, including diabetes. There is a growing interest in identifying natural, plant-based sources of antioxidants to mitigate these effects. Unripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca) is a widely consumed fruit, but a systematic evaluation of its antioxidant potential is warranted. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract of unripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca) fruit using established radical scavenging assays. Unripe plantain fruits were collected, authenticated, shade-dried, and pulverized. The powdered material was subjected to extraction using 80% ethanol in a Soxhlet apparatus. Two complementary techniques were used to assess the crude extract's ability to scavenge free radicals: the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation decolorization assays. Trolox and ascorbic acid served as the conventional antioxidant controls. The assays were carried out at different extract concentrations, and the IC₂₀ values and percentage inhibition were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test. The ethanolic extract of unripe plantain demonstrated significant, concentration-dependent antioxidant activity in both assays. In the DPPH assay, the extract showed a maximum inhibition of approximately 55%, while the standard ascorbic acid achieved nearly 90% at the highest concentration. Similarly, in the ABTS assay, the extract exhibited up to 55% radical scavenging activity compared to ~95% by the Trolox standard. The extract demonstrated a significant and dose-responsive ability to neutralize free radicals, despite its activity being much lower than the synthetic standards. The findings indicate that the ethanolic extract of unripe plantain possesses moderate but appreciable in vitro antioxidant properties, attributable to its phytochemical constituents such as flavonoids, tannins, and saponins. This validates its possible application as an organic antioxidant source. The study recommends further investigation to isolate the specific bioactive compounds and to validate these effects through in vivo and clinical studies for potential application in functional foods and nutraceuticals aimed at managing oxidative stress-related disorders.