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Implementing short-term anoxic conditions as a straightforward and effective postharvest technique to preserve the quality of ‘Sucrier’ bananas
Author(s)
Date Issued
June 1, 2026
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the impact of an oxygen limitation, so-called anoxic conditions, on the ripening process and the physicochemical characteristics of ‘Sucrier’ bananas during storage. A preliminary experiment was conducted to determine the optimal duration of anoxia treatment, ranging from 0 to 20 h. The experiment determined that subjecting the fruit to anoxic conditions for 16 h resulted in the most successful treatment for delaying the development of fruit skin color at room temperature for a period of 8 days. Furthermore, the reduction in moisture content of the peel and the increase in weight loss, pulp-to-peel ratio, and moisture content of the pulp exhibited a notable disparity compared to the other treatments. Therefore, the duration of 16 h of anoxic conditions was chosen to further examine the responses of fruit after storage for 18 d at 15°C, in comparison to the control fruit, which had no exposure to anoxic conditions. Bananas treated with anoxia exhibited a decrease in the developed peel color, as indicated by decreased Δa* and ΔH values. The treatment also demonstrated greater fruit firmness in comparison to the untreated fruit. In addition, the peel of treated bananas exhibited a greater relative value of firmness, whereas the relative values of electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, and H2O2 were lower. This is likely caused by the application of anoxia treatment, which might stimulate the activity of DPPH scavenging.
Citation
Acta Horticulturae, 1458, 59-65, 2026