Evaluation of banana peel extract (Musa sapientum L.) as a natural antimicrobial for livestock farming

Introduction One of the primary objectives of managing microbial content in livestock farming is to control diseases in the respective animals. Nevertheless, the pervasive development of drug-resistant bacteria is a consequence of the high levels of antibiotic use that are necessary to achieve this objective. This situation exacerbates animal disease and poses a threat to human health. The purpose of this study was to investigate alternative microbial control methods in livestock farming using banana peel extract. Materials & Methods The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of peel extracts from unripe and ripe cultivated bananas were examined and compared. Results The results are notable because they show that the unripe banana peel extracts exhibited significantly better antioxidant activity than the ripe banana peel extracts in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2 '-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) tests. Furthermore, the unripe banana peels showed significant antimicrobial activity in vitro against four bacteria that are commonly found in swine and poultry houses, including Staphylococcus epidermidis, Exiguobacterium indicum, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus siamensis, Bacillus altitudinis, Pantoea ananatis, and Bacillus megaterium. This activity was probably due to their high levels of total phenolic content and total flavonoid content. Then, the spray formulation loaded with the concentrated unripe banana peel extract that was five times higher than the minimum bactericidal concentration was developed and tested. Ethanol, sodium benzoate, tween 80, and glycerine were applied as additives in the spray formulation to increase the extract's solubility and stability. It was found that the developed spray formulation effectively inhibited the growth of S. epidermidis. Conclusion These research outcomes show that the possible application of banana peel extract is an excellent approach because it is an eco-friendly alternative to control microorganisms undesired microbial growth in farm animals.