Effects of different storage temperature conditions on fruit ripening of two varieties of banana (Musa spp.)

Title : Effects of different storage temperature conditions on fruit ripening of two varieties of banana (Musa spp.)

Abstract:

Banana (Musa spp.) is a climacteric fruit that continues to ripen after harvest, often resulting in rapid quality deterioration and postharvest losses if not properly managed. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different storage temperature conditions (4°C, 10°C, and 25°C) on the ripening behavior of two banana varieties which are Musa acuminata cv. ‘Berangan’ and Musa acuminata cv. ‘Lemak Manis’; later will be written as BN and LM, respectively. Apart from that, in the experiment, ethephon was used as an ethylene-releasing agent, and the fruits were analyzed for physiological weight loss (PWL), total soluble solids (TSS), fruit firmness, total phenolic content (TPC), chilling injury (CI), and maturity index over 10 days storage period. We have found that the storage temperature significantly affected banana ripening. Both varieties ripened fastest at 25°C with high sugar content and low fruit firmness, while those at 4°C remained firmer with lower sugar content. BN had better texture and lower weight loss than LM. In both varieties, total phenolic content was highest at 4°C, suggesting cold-induced accumulation. Meanwhile, a chilling injury occurred only at 4°C but was not statistically significant. Maturity index increased with temperature, though differences were not statistically significant. In conclusion, BN exhibited superior shelf-life attributes, while storage at 10°C appeared as the optimal temperature to delay the ripening and minimize chilling injury. These findings contribute to better postharvest handling strategies to reduce losses and maintain fruit quality in banana supply chains.

Biography:

Siti is a Senior Lecturer at one of the public universities in Malaysia. She received her Bachelor's degree (honors) in Biotechnology from Malaysia's top university, Universiti of Malaya, and pursued her Master's degree in Plant Biotechnology at the National University of Malaysia. She was then awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Education to pursue her Doctorate in Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, where her research focused on apple fruit development studies involving tissue culture and gene expression studies. She was then appointed Senior Lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA. Apart from teaching and supervising undergraduates and postgraduates, she is also actively involved in research, reviewing research articles, was invited to review a science encyclopedia by Elsevier Inc., is writing a reference book for undergraduate students, and is writing book chapters, journals, and review articles. She also won medals in several teaching innovation competitions. Most of her publications were accepted by high-impact journals that were indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus. Her interest in research developed when she won and led a Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) project with her team, a competitive research grant by the Malaysian Government. She was also awarded as a Professional Technologist from the Malaysian Board of Technologist (MBOT). She looks forward to creating an international research network with other researchers worldwide.