## 4 Nutritional and Bioactive Potential of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Waste
### Fresh Fruits
#### 4.1.2. Banana  
The edible banana fruit (_Musa_ spp.) is soft and sweet, and usually eaten raw. In contrast, plantain bananas (_Musa_\(\times\) paradisisaca) have a firm and starch pulp suitable for cooking as a vegetable. Both are seedless fruits, rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibers, certain vitamins, minerals (such as phosphorus, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese), and several health-promoting bioactive phytochemicals [8]. Different studies have identified many of these bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids (\(\beta\)-carotene), flavonoidsoids, phenolics, biogenic amines, vitamins A, B, C, and E, and phytostreols [8, 84, 153, 154]. Extracts from different parts of banana fruit and plants were shown to elicit effective protection against oxidative damage to cells and different human diseases triggered by these deleterious events, notably different forms of cancer (reviewed in [155]). These effects are possibly associated with the existence of specific phytoconstituents in banana plants and fruit, including ferulic acid, protocatechualdehyde, 2-pentanone, 4-epicyclomusalenone, cycloeucalenol acetate, and chlorogenic acid, which have been shown to exhibit therapeutic cancer-preventing and anticancer abilities (reviewed in [155]). These bioactive compounds have been widely shown to have many positive effects on human  
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**Fruit or Vegetable** & **Edible Part Composition** & **Discarded Part Composition** & **Possible Dietary Nutritional and Bioactive Value** & **Preparation** & **Ref. ** \\ \hline \multirow{6}{*}{Cauliflower} & florets: fiber, minerals, phenolics, acorotenoids, glucosionolates & \(-\) stems and leaves: carbohydrates, protein, fat, glucosionolates & \(-\) edible after cooking & \(-\) softened before ingestion (cooked) \(-\) leaf powder & \(-\) softened before ingestion (food) & \(-\) softened before ingestion (cooked) \(-\) washed to eliminate pesticides and other contaminants & \(-\) softened before ingestion (cooking) \(-\) washed to eliminate (cooking) \(-\) washed to eliminate pesticides and other contaminants & \(-\) softened before ingestion (cooking) \(-\) washed to eliminate pesticides and other contaminants & \(-\)  
health and banana has an effective antioxidant capacity higher than many berries [156]. This phytochemical composition certainly explains the efficiency of the traditional uses of bananas against degenerative diseases triggered by oxidative stresses [84]. Among the flavonoids found in bananas are quercetin, myricetin, kaempfer, and cyanidin [8,28]. Banana has been shown to contain a good amount of phytosterols, such as stigmasterol, \(\beta\)-sitosterol, campesterol, 24-methylene cycloartenol, cyclooucalenol, and cycloartenol, as well as a group of biogenic amines, the catecholamines [8]. In particular, the composition of the biogenic amines L-dopa and dopamine in banana makes this fruit very relevant as a supplement in the treatment of [PERSON]'s disease [153]. In contrast, and with exception of some producing countries in Asia and Latin America, banana peel and other parts of the fruit and plant are traditionally discarded in soil and used as compost to provide nutrients for the next harvests. However, banana peel is also rich in anthocyanins (delphinidin) and cyanidins [8], as well as in \(\beta\)-carotene, gallocatechin, and vitamins A, C, and E [157,158]. Additionally, it has a high content of dietary fibers, including hemicellulose and pectin polysaccharides [157]. Like the pulp, banana peels are also rich in phytosterols and catecholamines (biogenic amines). [PERSON], et al. [159] reported that banana peel showed superior phenolic compound and mineral levels compared to pulp. This composition of banana peels certainly explains the bioactive effects reported in traditional uses to promote wound healing, mainly from burns, and to help overcome or prevent several illnesses, such as depression [153].