Pre-storage anoxia treatment induces physicochemical characteristics of ‘Sucrier’ bananas (Musa AA group) in response to postharvest cold storage and subsequent ambient temperature

Abstract

The rapid ripening and senescence are the main problems of ‘Surcrier’ bananas during marketing. This study examined the impact of a short-term anoxia treatment on the physicochemical characteristics of ‘Sucrier’ bananas during refrigeration (15 °C), followed by exposure to 25 °C for 2 days. The anoxia treatment delayed the increases in the weight loss, and pulp-to-peel ratio as well as the pulp softening during refrigeration and after shifting to 25 °C compared to the untreated bananas. Moreover, at the end of refrigeration, the yellow color value (YCV) was 0.149 for control and 0.122 for anoxia-treated fruits. Meanwhile, on day 21+2, the YCV values increased to 0.246 for control and 0.275 for anoxia-treated fruits. Electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide levels were found to be reduced by the increased capacity of 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging in the peel. This suggests that anoxia treatment may be able to mitigate physiological damage and senescent spotting in ‘Sucrier’ bananas during cold storage and subsequent ambient temperature. The total soluble solids (TSS) content in control fruit increased from 5.25 % to 22.00 % after storage, while anoxia-treated fruit exhibited an increase in TSS content to 18.67 %, resulting in a delay in fruit ripening. In addition, the investigation revealed that the treatment of anoxia improved the antioxidant capacity of banana pulp by augmenting the total phenolic content and DPPH scavenging in the pulp. According to the results of this study, it is most beneficial to employ anoxic treatment prior to storage in terms of both fruit ripening and quality considerations.