Evaluation of Antifungal activity of Banana peel against Scalp Fungi

Among fruits, banana is one of the widely consumed fruit in the world. Once the fruit is eaten the peel is discarded. But Banana peels are as useful as the banana. They are known to contain antifungal, antibiotic and enzymatic properties. It is rich in vitamins and fiber content. In the present study phytochemical and antifungal activity of ripe banana peels are studied. The Scalp fungi were isolated on Sabouraud's Dextrose Agar and observed for growth. The grown fungus were identified by morphological characteristics & Lactophenol staining and the antifungal activity of the extract of banana peel powder and ash prepared using distilled water were evaluated for the isolated fungi. The fungi isolated were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium sps. The phytochemical analysis showed that all the three varieties of banana peel in powder and ash showed the presence of carbohydrates, phenols, terpenoids and saponins were present in powdered form of all the three banana peel varieties. In the study, it was found that the extract of dried Kadali banana peel powder and ash exhibited antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger. (c) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.