Effect of Maturity Stages on Physiological Properties of Banana Fruits

Introduction

Banana is one of globally consumed fruit and the most important crop in the world. Maturity stage of banana fruit is an important factor that affects the fruit quality during ripening and marketability after ripening. The ability to identify maturity of banana fruit will be a great support for farmers to optimize harvesting phase which helps to avoid harvesting either under-matured or over-matured banana. This fruit is climacteric fruits which produce ethylene and short shelf life [1]. If banana is not harvested at optimum stage of maturity, it’s physicochemical properties will be affected by different factors. Particularly physiological factor like respiration is one of the most factor reduce the quality and shelf life of banana because of temperature. Temperature is also one of external (extrinsic) factor encourage respiration rate and reduce quality of fruits.

Therefore, it is an important to harvest fruit at the right maturity stage to maintain the general quality and to avoid problem come from respiration and temperature because of ethylene. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to determine effect of stage of maturity of banana fruit on respiration rate and ethylene production as well to determine effect of storage condition on respiration rate and ethylene production of banana fruit.

Materials and Methods

Materials

During laboratory experiment a lot of materials were used for measuring respiration rate and ethylene production. Some were:

Green and ripe Bananas fruit……… as sample

Electronic balance…........................... to measure samples weight

Black Jar…............................................ to contain/hold/ sample

Graduate cylinder…............................ to measure volume

Gases analyzer…................................. to measure respiration rate

Ethylene Analyzer……………...….to measure concentration of ethylene gases in banana

Thermometer….................................... to measure temperature

Cold storage /fridge).............................. for storage purpose through reduce temperature

Methodology

The physiological properties (intensity respiration rate in terms of CO2 production and ethylene) produces of both banana fruits (green and yellow) were measured according to [2]. This physiological property banana fruits (ripe and green) were measured in terms production of CO2 concentration by using the closed system method in which samples were placed in airtight 5 L volume black jar container, and CO2 concentration was analyzed after 1 hour and expressed as LCO2 /kg.h.

To measure respiration rates in terms of CO2 production, we have used different methods and protocols. At the first step, the prepared green and ripe banana fruits five in number were weighed by using balance and put in black jar and sealed with grease and store at room temperature at 32oc and waited for one hour. The volume of jar was determined by using water and it was 5 liters. The volume of samples was determined by using liquid displacement method or by adding water into jar and put sample into it. The overflowed water was measure and consider as volume of sample. That means the volume of sample was obtained by subtraction of volume of samples from volume of jar. After one hours, Gases analyzer was used and directly we have placed and inserted the syringe to the hole of black Jar and the value of CO2 produced directly recorded from Gases analyzer and replicated three times. The same procedure was followed to measure carbon dioxide after storage in cold storage at 13oc for one-hour. Then, the below formula was applied for calculation of CO2.

Weight = weight of sample in kg and T time in hour, volume in liter

To measure ethylene produced, the weight and volume were measure by following the same above procedure used in carbon dioxide measurement. After that, ethylene analyzer syringe was placed inside of black jar and the value of ethylene produced was directly taken from it and repeated three time. After that, below formula was applied. Ethylene was also determined after cold storage at 13oc for one-hour by following the same procedure done for bananas storage at room temperature.

Weight = weight of sample in kg and T time in hour

The effect of storage temperatures (room temperature, 32oc) and cold storage,13oc for one hour with inside jar 26oc) on respiration rate and ethylene production also done and compared. The banana fruits used looks like below.

Figure 1: Green and Ripe Banana

Results and Discussions

Data recorded for determination of respiration rate (CO2) and ethylene.

Parameter’s	Replication	Initial	Final	CO2 produced (LCO2/kg*h)	Mass (kg)	Sample   Volume (L)	Jar volume (L)	Time (hr)
CO2	R1	0	0.94	6.2	0.66081	0.65	5	1
	R2	0	0.71	4.7
	R3	0	0.61	4
		Average		4.97
Ethylene	Replication	Initial	Final		0.66081	0.65	5	1
	R1	0.1	1.1	6.5
	R2	0.1	1.1	6.5
	R3	0.1	1.1	6.5
		Average		6.5

                                                                                    Table 1: Ripe Banana in Jar One

parameter’s	Replication	Initial	Final	CO2 produced (LCO2/kg*h)	Mass (kg)	Volume sample (L)	Volume Jar(L)	Time (hr)
CO2	R1	0	1.43	9.4	0.66172	0.650	5	1
	R2	0	1.43	9.4
	R3	0	1.4	9.2
		Average		9.33
Ethylene	Replication	Initial	Final		0.66172	0.650	5	1
	R1	0.3	1.6	8.5
	R2	0.3	1.6	8.5
	R3	0.3	1.6	8.5
		Average		8.5

                                                                                   Table 2: Ripe Banana in Jar Two

Parameter	Replication	Initial	Final	CO2 produced   (LCO2/kg*h)	Weight (kg)	Volume sample(L)	Volume jar (L)	Time (hr)
CO2	R1	0	1.68	9.9	0.73982	0.6	5	1
	R2	0	1.42	8.4
	R3	0	1.19	7.1
		Average		8.5
Ethylene	Replication	Initial	Final		0.73982	0.6	5	1
	R1	0.3	1.6	7.7
	R2	0.3	1.5	7.14
	R3	0.3	1.4	6.5
		Average		7.13

                                                                                  Table 3: Ripe Banana in Jar 3

parameter’s	Replication	Initial	Final	CO2 produced   (LCO2/kg*h)	Mass (kg)	Sample Volume (L)	Jar Volume (L)	Time (hr)
CO2	R1	0	0.22	1.2	0.80607	0.6	5	1
	R2	0	0.19	1.03
	R3	0	0.15	8.2
		Average		1.02
Ethylene	Replication	Initial	Final		0.80607	0.6	5	1
	R1	0.1	0.4	1.64
	R2	0.1	0.4	1.64
	R3	0.1	0.4	1.64
		Average		1.64

                                                                                      Table 4: Green Banana in Jar 1

Parameter	Replication	Initial	Final	CO2 produced   (LCO2/kg*h)	Weight (kg)	Sample volume (L)	Jar volume (L)	Time (hr)
CO2	R1	0	0.25	1.4	0.77987	0.6	5	1
	R2	0	0.25	1.4
	R3	0	0.24	1.4
		Average		1.4
Ethylene	Replication	Initial	Final
	R1	0.3	0.5	1.13	0.77987	0.6	5	1
	R2	0.3	0.4	0.56
	R3	0.3	0.5	1.13
		Average		0.94

                                                                                          Table 5: Green Banana in Jar 2

Parameters	Replications	Initial	Final	CO2 produced   (LCO2/kg*h)	Mass	Samle Volume (L)	Jar.Volume (L)	Time   (hr)
CO2	R1	0	0.33	1.89	0.78033	0.54	5	1
	R2	0	0.34	1.94
	R3	0	0.35	2
		Average		1.97
Ethylene	Replication	Initial	Final		0.78033	0.54	5	1
	R1	0.3	0.5	1.14
	R2	0.3	0.4	0.57
	R3	0.3	0.4	0.57
		Average		0.76

                                                                                  Table 6: Green Banana in Jar 3

                       Table 7: Co₂ of Ripe Banana After Stored in Cold Storage At 13^oc and 32^oc at Room Temperature

Storage condition	Replications	Initial	Final		Weight (kg)	Sample Volume(L)	Jar Volume(L)	Time (hr)
Cold storage	R1	0.3	1.2	5.9	0.6608	0.65	5	1
	R2	0.3	1.2	5.9
	R3	0.3	1.2	5.9
		Average		5.9
Room temperature	Replications	Initial	Final		Weight (kg)	Sample Volume(L)	Jar Volume(L)	Time (hr)
	R1	0.1	1.1	6.5	0.6608	0.65	5	1
	R2	0.1	1.1	6.5
	R3	0.1	1.1	6.5
		Average		6.5

                      Table 8: C2H4 of Ripe Banana After Stored in Cold Storage At 13^Oc and 32^Oc at Room Temperature

                          Table 9: CO₂ of Green Banana After Stored in Cold Storage At 13^oc and 32^oc at Room Temperature

Storage condition	Replication	Initial	Final		Weight (kg)	Volume   Sample m(L)	Volume Jar (mL)	Time (hr)
Room temperature	R1	0.1	0.4	1.64	0.80607	6000	5	1
	R2	0.1	0.4	1.64
	R3	0.1	0.4	1.64
		Average		1.64
Cold storage	Replication	Initial	Final		0.80607	6000	5	1
	R1	0.1	0.3	1.1
	R2	0.1	0.3	1.1
	R3	0.1	0.3	1.1
		Average		1.1

                             Table 10: C₂ H₄ of Green Banana After Stored in Cold Storage at 13^oc and 32^oc at Room Temperature

Based on the above tables, recorded data and information, below results which are average was obtained. That means stage of maturity and temperature used as factors. The below figures were drawn by using averages for both ripe and green banana including both storage conditions room temperature and cold storage.

This above fig.3 depicted, effect of storage condition room temperature (32oC) and cold storage (13oc) for one hour and inside of jar 26oc on maturity stage of banana fruits. According to the Fig.3 above implied, the respiration and Ethylene data corresponding to cold and room temperatures indicated that as the temperature increased the respiration progressed at a faster rate. Our results exhibited, the higher and lower intensity respiration CO2 (4.97 and 4.5 L/kg*h) respectively and higher and lower  

Therefore, ripe banana fruits stored at room temperatures (32oc) implied higher intensity respiration CO2 and ethylene compare to the ripe banana stored at cold storage 13oc. This is might due to the fact that, at higher temperatures an increase in respiration rate could occur due to the increase in metabolic activities. In other way due to low temperatures slow down plant metabolic processes such as respiration, ethylene production and, in general, enzyme activity. This work witness with the work of [4,2].

Figure 4: Effect of Storage Condition on Intensity Respiration and Ethylene of Green Banana

Figure 4 above showed, effect of storage conditions (room temperature 32oc) and cold storage (13oc) for one hour and 26oc in jar on intensity respiration CO2 and ethylene production of green bananas. The recorded data showed, green banana stored at room temperature and cold storage produce Intensity respiration CO2 1.02 and 0.9 L/kg*h respectively and produced ethylene 1.54 and stored in room temperature produce higher intensity respiration CO2 and ethylene than green banana stored at cold storage. This is due to the fact that, lower temperature reduces respiration and Ethylene production including other physiological factors. This is because of as storage temperature increased and respiration rates increased and vice versa [5]. This idea supported with the work of who worked on effects of maturity on physicochemical properties of Gac fruit [6].

Conclusion

Based on the obtained results, intensity respiration CO2 and ethylene production of banana fruits were affected by stage of maturity and storage conditions. The ripe banana exhibited higher intensity respiration CO2 and ethylene production compare to green banana. However, during storage conditions, the cold storage exhibited lower intensity respiration CO2 and ethylene production. Therefore, to maintain quality of agriculture products like banana appropriate and optimum stage of maturity and application of cold storage are very important.

Acknowledgment

This work was conducted under guidance and help of prof. Vu Thi Kim Oanh and I would like to thanks her heartfully. All of activities done under guidance of Prof, Oanh who is course lecturer and my gratitude for her. Next my gratitude is for miss Minh who is laboratory technician. Next, my appreciation goes to Post-harvest Technology Department at faculty of food science and technology, VNUA. The other appreciation was for my friends (Stephen Mutua Mutinda, Thang Vu Quyet, Salifu Adam, George Owusu Ntim and Gemechu Warkina) since we have collected data together during laboratory work.

References

1. Surya Prabha, D., & Satheesh Kumar, J. (2015). Assessment of banana fruit maturity by image processing technique. Journal of food science and technology, 52, 1316-1327.
2. Pathare, P. B., & Al-Dairi, M. (2022). Effect of mechanical damage on the quality characteristics of banana fruits during short-term storage. Discover Food, 2(1), 4.
3. Balaguera-López, H. E., Martínez-Cárdenas, C. A., & Herrera-Arévalo, A. (2016). Effect of the maturity stage on the postharvest behavior of cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) fruits stored at room temperature. Bioagro, 28(2), 117-124.
4. Bhande, S. D., Ravindra, M. R., & Goswami, T. K. (2008). Respiration rate of banana fruit under aerobic conditions at different storage temperatures. Journal of Food Engineering, 87(1), 116-123.
5. Devanesan, J. N., Karuppiah, A., & Abirami, C. K. (2011). Effect of storage temperatures, O2 concentrations and variety on respiration of mangoes. Journal of Agrobiology, 28(2), 119-128.
6. Tran, X. T., Parks, S. E., Roach, P. D., Golding, J. B., & Nguyen, M. H. (2016). Effects of maturity on physicochemical properties of G ac fruit (M omordica cochinchinensis S preng.). Food science & nutrition, 4(2), 305-314.