Abstract
Postharvest application of 1-methylcycloprepene (1-MCP) on banana fruit to extend shelf-life and maintain quality is inconsistent as treated fruit do not ripen uniformly. Banana response to 1-MCP treatment can be variable due to within-bunch variation in fruit size, composition, and maturity. Therefore, the present study investigated whether fruit size variation explains variability in ripening recovery. To investigate this relationship, large, medium, and small fruit were treated with 0 nL L−1 1-MCP (control), 400 nL L−1 1-MCP and 50 µL L−1 ethephon + 400 nL L−1 1-MCP. Fruit were then ripened using 800 µL L−1 ethephon and stored at 23 °C for 30 d. Irrespective of fruit size, treating banana with 1-MCP and ethephon + 1-MCP prolonged shelf-life by 30 d compared to control, which were fully ripe at 15 d for medium and large fruit, and 20 d for small fruit. 1-MCP significantly delayed yellow colour development (colour stage 4), chlorophyll degradation (97.4 µg/g), and sucrose (2.57 mg/g) and glucose (0.86 mg/g) accumulation in small compared to medium and large fruit. However, firmness (56.13 N) and starch (0.68 mg/g) were significantly lower in 1-MCP-treated small-sized fruit compared to medium and large fruit. Moisture loss was also significantly higher (19.49%) in 1-MCP-treated small fruit compared to medium (14.89%) and large (18.11%). Combined ethephon and 1-MCP allowed for an increase in ripening in small, medium, and large fruit. Overall, medium and large fruit treated with 1-MCP and ethephon + 1-MCP recovered their ripening capacity better compared to small fruit. The results demonstrate that 1-MCP efficacy is influenced by fruit size, whereas ethephon + 1-MCP treatment was consistent across small, medium, and large fruit. The effect of fruit size on 1-MCP efficacy might explain the inconsistency of the treatment in the banana fruit. Therefore, it is important to apply 1-MCP on fruit of approximately the same size to achieve the full benefit of the treatment. Moreover, fruit treated with 1-MCP + ethephon recovered their ripening capacity, irrespective of size, suggesting that it is a beneficial treatment.
Highlights
Banana (Musa acuminata) is a tropical and sub-tropical fruit that is increasingly consumed worldwide due to its nutritional properties, including higher vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols in the pulp, which help in the reduction in various diseases [1]
In small fruit treated with 1-MCP, higher starch concentration seemed to be more responsible for softening than yellowing
Our results demonstrated that 1-MCP and ethephon + 1-MCP extend the shelf-life of small, medium, and large fruit in comparison to control fruit
Summary
Banana (Musa acuminata) is a tropical and sub-tropical fruit that is increasingly consumed worldwide due to its nutritional properties, including higher vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols in the pulp, which help in the reduction in various diseases [1]. Banana pulp contains higher concentrations of starch. Starch accumulates during fruit growth and development and degrades at the later stage of ripening [2,3]. Its degradation leads to an increase in fruit sweetness due to higher soluble solids [2,4,5]. Starch plays an important role as a source of energy for metabolic processes including ripening (peel colour change, pulp softening, etc.) [2]. Starch concentration was reported to be influenced by fruit size in banana and the differences were pronounced within a bunch [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
