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Effects of Ethylene Exposure Temperature on Shelf Life, Composition and Quality of Artificially Ripened Bananas (Musa acuminata AAA, cv. ‘Dwarf Cavendish’)

Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias. P.O. Box 60, 38200 La Laguna, Spain, globo{at}icia.es

M. González

Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias. P.O. Box 60, 38200 La Laguna, Spain

A. Peña

Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias. P.O. Box 60, 38200 La Laguna, Spain

A. Marrero

Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias. P.O. Box 60, 38200 La Laguna, Spain

The effects of ethylene exposure temperature, ethylene concentration and post-exposure storage temperature on the ripening processes of bananas were studied. Mature-green bananas were treated for 24h with different ethylene concentrations (5, 50, 500 and 5,000 L/L) at three temperatures (12, 15 and 20°C) and subsequently stored at either 15 or 20°C. No major differences were found among the four ethylene concentrations used, except in the case of the 12°C exposure temperature where the 5 L/L treatment showed little or no effect on ripening. In general, exposure to ethylene at 12°C in all cases resulted in uneven ripening of the fruits. Exposure to ethylene at 15°C (storage temperature 20°C) extended shelf life one or three days (storage temperature 15°C) more than ethylene exposure at 20°C. These differences were accompanied by changes in the respiration pattern of the bananas, their quality parameters (TSS, peel and pulp firmness) and their soluble sugars and organic acids composition. Shelf life of ethylene-treated bananas could reliably be modulated within the range of 6 to 12 days, without any decrease in fruit quality, just by adjusting exposure to ethylene and storage temperature.

Key Words: banana • ethylene • artificial ripening • storage • post-harvest

Food Science and Technology International, Vol. 11, No. 2, 99-105 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1082013205052568


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