Abstract This comprehensive study investigated the chemical composition and methods for recovering high-value compounds from the bracts of banana inflorescences. They were evaluated for the apolar fraction using CO2 supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and Soxhlet (hexane), and for the polar fraction using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), and conventional reflux extraction (CRE). SFE with CO₂ at 25 MPa achieved the greatest recovery of essential fatty acids (palmitic, oleic, and linoleic) and the highest carotenoid content (2.94 mg β-carotene equivalent/100 g DW), surpassing conventional Soxhlet extraction. For polar compounds, PLE (water 150°C) yielded the highest extraction yield (53.09%), TPC (22.83 mg GAE/g DW), a good protein recovery (52.53%), and antioxidant capacities (ABTS: 489.36; DPPH: 170.35 µmol TEAC/g DW). MAE demonstrated superior extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds. Notably, for the first time, these phytochemicals were identified: taxifolin, eriodictyol, rosmarinic acid, and abscisic acid. The evaluation confirmed the environmental superiority of SFE, MAE, and PLE against conventional methods, achieving an A status in the Eco-scale. Therefore, this approach highlights that banana inflorescence bracts are rich in high-value bioresources with considerable applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and other industries. The correct choice of solvent and extraction method can help achieve sustainable development.
Motta et al. (Wed,) studied this question.