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Int. J. Postharvest Technology and Innovation, Vol. X, No.

Y, xxxx

Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical attributes and physiological responses of milk (Musa spp., AAB group) banana during fruit ripening Umezuruike Linus Opara
South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch University, P.O. Box X1, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa E-mail: opara@sun.ac.za

Rashid Al-Yahyai*, Naflaa Al-Waili, Fahad Al Said, Majeed Al-Ani, Annamalai Manickavasagan and Adel Al-Mahdouri
College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34, Al-Khod 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman E-mail: alyahyai@squ.edu.om E-mail: ame5ss@hotmail.com E-mail: faalsaid@squ.edu.om E-mail: majeed@squ.edu.om E-mail: manick@squ.edu.om E-mail: adil@squ.edu.om *Corresponding author
Abstract: Knowledge of fruit physico-chemical properties and physiological responses is important for the design and development of appropriate postharvest handling and storage systems to reduce losses and maintain quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in physico-chemical attributes and physiology of milk banana cultivar at three ripening stages (unripe, fully ripe and overripe) under three storage conditions [refrigerated storage, 11C12C and 95.5% RH; warm (room) storage, 20C22C and 82%85% RH; and 12-h cycle of 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH, simulating cyclic day/night conditions]. Fruit physico-chemical characteristics (weight loss, firmness, colour, pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, sugar:acid ratio and vitamin C) and physiological processes (C2H4 and CO2 evolution) varied significantly among storage conditions for each of the three ripening stages tested. The least reduction in fruit weight, highest firmness and peel colour change were found using refrigerated storage compared to the other storage conditions. Refrigerated storage at 11C12C and 95.5% RH offered significant benefits in postharvest handling of milk banana by reducing fruit weight-loss, extending storage life by two weeks, and enhancing fruit vitamin C content during ripening.

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U.L. Opara et al.


Keywords: milk banana; postharvest handling; storage; ripening; fruit quality; respiration rate; ethylene; vitamin C. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Opara, U.L., Al-Yahyai, R., Al-Waili, N., Al Said, F., Al-Ani, M., Manickavasagan, A. and Al-Mahdouri, A. (xxxx) Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical attributes and physiological responses of milk (Musa spp., AAB group) banana during fruit ripening, Int. J. Postharvest Technology and Innovation, Vol. X, No. Y, pp.000000. Biographical notes: Umezuruike Linus Opara is an Agricultural Engineer and a Research Professor at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. He was previously the Assistant Dean for Postgraduate Studies and Research in the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences and the Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station at Sultan Qaboos University. His research focuses on cold chain technologies, non-destructive quality measurement and mapping/reducing postharvest food losses. He is the Chair of Section VI (Bioprocess) of the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Rashid Al-Yahyai is an Assistant Professor of Horticultural Sciences, specialising in Fruit Production, at the Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, SQU. He has been investigating the effects of water stress and irrigation deficit on physiological processes, water relations, growth and yield of deciduous and tropical fruit trees. His research interest is to study the effects of biotic and abiotic stress factors on physiology, growth and productivity of horticultural crops with emphasis on heat, drought and salinity effects. Naflaa Al-Waili is an Agricultural Engineer and graduated with an MSc in Agricultural Engineering from Sultan Qaboos University. She is currently employed in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, and special interest in the postharvest technology and engineering of fresh agricultural produce. Fahad Al Said is an Associate Professor of Horticultural Sciences, specialising in Vegetable Production, at the Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, SQU. His research interest is to study the factors that influence vegetable and fruit production in Oman including, pests and diseases, climatic and soil conditions, protected agriculture and nursery management, and postharvest physiology and technology of horticultural crops. Majeed Al-Ani is an Associate Professor in Food Science and Nutrition and coordinated the nutrition internship programme. His current research focuses on linking food to human health, with specific interest on the effects of fruit consumption on biomarkers of health. He has taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses and supervised many postgraduate students at universities in Iraq, Jordan and Sultanate of Oman. Annamalai Manickavasagan is an Assistant Professor in Agricultural Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University. His research interests are focussed on development of postharvest and food processing technologies for health and wellness. Adel Al-Mahdouri graduated with a BSc in Agricultural Engineering from Sultan Qaboos University and Masters in Engineering. He is currently pursuing further postgraduate studies in Japan.

Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical attributes

Introduction

The physico-chemical attributes of banana fruit varies among cultivars (Emaga et al., 2007) and during ripening (Opara et al., 2011). Salvador et al. (2007) reported gradual changes in fruit colour and texture during storage in M. Cavendish AAA group, whereas the process was more uneven in M. Paradisiaca AAB group. High fruit respiration rate is commonly associated with short storage life as well degradation in quality and food value (Phan et al., 1973). Milk banana is one of the most important commercial cultivars in India and parts of the Middle East (Opara et al., 2010). Milk banana experience high incidence of postharvest losses and quality reduction, especially appearance in comparison with imported fruit and this is largely attributed to the lack of scientific information on postharvest technology and physiology of locally grown banana cultivars to assist in the development of appropriate handling and storage techniques to reduce losses and improve storage and shelf life potential (Opara, 2009). Banana is the second most important fruit crop in Oman, the largest banana producer in the Arabian Peninsula (Al-Harthi and Al-Yahyai, 2009). Recently, the genetic diversity in banana cultivars (Musa cvs.) from Oman has been characterised using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers and classification by phylogenetic, chemometric and hierarchical clustering (Opara et al., 2010). However, there are no reported scientific studies characterising the physico-chemical properties and postharvest storage stability of important cultivars such as milk banana. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the physico-chemical properties and physiological responses of milk banana during ripening under different storage conditions.

Materials and methods

2.1 Fruit supply


Whole bunches in mature-green milk banana (Musa sp., AAB group) harvested from the Salalah plains in Southern Oman during the spring season of 2009 were obtained from a local market and transported in air-conditioned car to the Postharvest Research Laboratory at Sultan Qaboos University. Banana fingers were removed from hands, and undamaged, blemish-free fingers were selected for this study. The graded fruits were randomly divided into three groups (27 fruits in each group), and each group was used for one storage condition. For each storage condition, a random sample of nine fruits was selected, marked individually and used for daily measurement of respiration rate and ethylene production. At each ripening stage [unripe (mature-green), fully ripe and overripe], a random sample of nine fruits was selected and used to measure physico-chemical properties and vitamin C content. Fruit ripening stages were identified based on the guidelines reported by Kader (2005).

2.2 Storage conditions


Fruit were stored under the following conditions:

4 a b c

U.L. Opara et al. refrigerator (11C12C and 95% RH) room (20C22C and 82%85% RH) environmental chamber [12-hour cycle of 28C/70% RH (lighted) and 18C/50% RH (darkened), simulating cyclic day and night time conditions].

Air relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T) inside the refrigerator and room conditions were measured using a sensor (model Data Hog, Sky Instruments, Wales). A computerised environmental test chamber (model MLR-351 H, SANYO Electric Co. Ltd., Japan) was used to simulate the day/night storage conditions.

2.3 Physiological responses of fruit 2.3.1 Respiration and ethylene production


Respiration rate of the individual banana was measured by using CO2/O2 Dual Gas Analyzer [ICA15, International Controlled Atmosphere (ICA) Ltd., UK]. Ethylene (C2H4) production rate of the fruit was measured by Ethylene Analyzer [ICA56, International Controlled Atmosphere (ICA) Ltd., UK]. The procedure explained by Dadzie and Orchard (1997) was used in this study. For each storage condition, a sample of nine fruits was placed inside an airtight 9 L plastic container and measured daily for respiration (CO2 and O2) rate and ethylene (C2H4) production. Equations (1) and (2) were applied to calculate the respiration rate (R CO2 ) and C2H4 rate (R C2 H4 ) (Banks et al., 1995; Dadzie and Orchard, 1997):
10 ( Vc (ml) Vf (ml) ) ( CO2(f ) (%) CO2(i) (%) ) P(Pa) (1) R CO2 ( mol kg 1s1 ) = 2 1 1 T(k) R ( m .Pa.mol K ) Wt(g) t(s) ( Vc (ml) Vf (ml) ) ( C2 H4(f ) (ppm) C2 H4(i) (ppm) ) P(Pa) (2) RC2H4 ( nmol kg1s1 ) = T(k) R ( m2 .Pa.mol1K1 ) Wt(g) t(s)

where Vc is the volume of container, Vf is the volume of sample, and CO2(f), CO2(i) are the final and initial percentage of carbon dioxide respectively. P is the atmospheric pressure (101.3 KPa), T is the temperature in Kelvin (K), R is gas constant (8.314 m3.Pa.mol1 K1), wt is the weight of sample (g), t is the time difference (s) between two readings for R CO2 and R C2 H4 , and C2H4(f), C2H4(i) are the finial and initial production of ethylene.

2.4 Physico-chemical determinations


The same fruit samples used for physiological measurements were also measured individually for physical properties (weight loss %, colour, and firmness). For chemical properties measurement [total soluble solids (TSSs), pH, titratable acidity (TA), TSS:TA ratio, vitamin C], three random samples of three fruits each were selected at each ripening stage from the original batch and each lot was bulked and homogenised. Each lot was analysed in triplicate, giving a total of nine readings for each chemical property.

Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical attributes

2.4.1 Weight loss


Individual fruit weight (g) was measured using a digital balance (model GX-4000, A&D Company, Japan). Daily change in fruit weight relative to the initial measurement was expressed as percentage of weight loss.

2.4.2 Colour
Peel colour of each fruit was measured twice mid-way along the stem-calyx axis with a chromameter (model CR-400, Konica Minolta, Japan) on each opposite side of fruit. Peel colour was reported in the CIELAB scale (Salvador et al., 2007): L* (lightness: 0 black to 100 white); a* (redness to greenness: a* for greenness and +a* for redness); and b* (yellowness to blueness: b* for blueness to +b* for yellowness). Chromaticity or saturation (C*ab) and hue angle (h*ab) were calculated using equations (3) and (4):
Cab* = ( a *2 + b*2 )
1 2

(3)

Hue angle = arctan ( b*2 / a *2 )

(4)

A detailed review of various colour measurements including chroma (Cab*) and hue angle (h*ab) and their use in horticultural crops can be found in Camelo and Gmez (2004) and Salvador et al. (2007).

2.4.3 Firmness
Fruit firmness was evaluated twice on each fruit daily using Durofel non-destructive firmness device (Agro-Technology Co., 13150 Taracon-France) with a 25-mm diameter round probe. Firmness was measured mid-way along the stem-calyx axis on opposite sides of the fruit and the results were reported on a 100-point scale (0 soft and 100 firm).

2.5 Sample preparation for chemical analysis


For each storage condition, chemical analysis was carried out at three fruit ripening stages (stage 1 unripe; stage 6 fully ripe; and stage 7 overripe). For each ripening stage and storage treatment, a random sample of three fruits was cut into small cubes, homogenised and used for chemical analysis. Banana pulp tissue was cut into small cubes and homogenised by blending 15 g with 50 ml of distilled water using kitchen blender for 1 min to prepare a diluted banana juice. Subsequently, the diluted banana juice was used for chemical analysis. All chemicals used were of analytical grade and all measurements fruit chemical properties were carried out in triplicate (Opara et al., 2009; Al-Said et al., 2009).

2.5.1 pH
pH was determined using 10 ml of the diluted banana juice using a standard bench-top pH meter (model Jenway 3520, Barloworld Scientific Ltd., UK).

U.L. Opara et al.

2.5.2 TSS content


TSS content was measured using a digital refractometer (model PR-32, Atago Co. Ltd., Japan) at 20C.

2.5.3 Titratable acidity


Prepared banana juice was titrated with 0.1 N NaOH up to pH 8.1 using phenolphthalein as an indicator (AOAC, 2000) and TA was calculated as percentage malic acid (Opara et al., 2009) according to equation (5):
TA (%) = (C 100 ml of NaOH N of NaOH) D (ml of sample)

(5)

where C is constant = 0.067 (for malic acid), N of NaOH = 0.1, mL of NaOH = readings of sample volume, and D (dilution factor). TSS:TA ratio was calculated as fruit flavour index (Chamara et al., 2000; Mostafa, 2005).

2.5.4 Vitamin C
Vitamin C was measured by titration with 2,6-dichloroindophenol in acidic solution as recently reported by Opara et al. (2009), and expressed as % malic acid. In brief, vitamin C content was determined by the standard titrimetric method by titration of filtrate against the dye, 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol (AOAC, 2000). Vitamin C was calculated according to equation (6):
mg Vitamin C = S V D 100 g FW (6)

where the strength of the dye (S) was measured by titrating 10 ml of standard ascorbic acid until a light pink end point (S = 1 / Volume of dye required), V is volume of the dye required for the sample titration, and D is the dilution factor. Results of vitamin C content were expressed as milligram ascorbic acid per 100 g fresh weight.

2.6 Statistical analysis


Data were analysed using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of the SAS statistical software procedures (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) to determine the mean among storage conditions, ripening stages and their interaction. The method of Duncan Multiple Range Test was used to differentiate treatment means at p 0.05.

Results and discussion

3.1 Percentage of weight loss


Percentage of weight loss of milk banana at different storage conditions is shown in Figure 1. The weight loss was higher in fruits stored at the environmental chamber and room (14% and 12.8%, respectively) than the refrigerator (10.5%), which is probably due to increased fruit evapotranspiration caused by higher temperature (Loesecke, 1950;

Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical attributes

Ahmad et al., 2001). Similar results were reported by Paull (1996) who found greater weight loss at (22.5C) compared to lower temperature (17.5C) and Ahmed et al. (2006) who reported 5.5% weight loss in Cavendish banana fruit during storage at 14C for two weeks.
Figure 1 Percentage of weight loss of milk banana at different storage conditions (see online version for colours)

Notes: Mean (N = 9) SE Temperate and relative humidity for each storage condition are as follows: environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH), room (20C22C and 82%85% RH), and refrigerator (11C12C, 95% RH).

3.2 Peel colour


The changes in colour values of milk banana during storage are given in Figures 2 to 6. Storage conditions had significant effect on a* (greenness), b* (yellowness), L* (white to black), C* and H* values of the peel colour. The conversion of green to yellow colour at ripening process is a result of breakdown of chlorophyll (Seymour et al., 1987; Chen and Ramaswamy, 2002; Mendoza and Aguilera, 2004). The samples that were stored at 20C to 22C and 82% to 85% RH initiated the colour changes within two to three days while it took about 13 to 19 days for 11C to 12C and ~ 95.5% RH storage. Brown spots started appearing on the peel from sixth to eighth day under room and environmental chamber, whereas only on 14th day in refrigerator storage. The H* value started increasing on the third day of storage at room and environmental conditions. However there were no significant changes on H* value up to 15 days in refrigerator storage. These results were similar to that of Trakulnaleumsai et al. (2006) who reported increased incidence of spotting on banana fruit peel at higher storage temperature.

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Figure 2

U.L. Opara et al.


Colour parameter a* (green-to-red) of milk banana at different storage conditions (see online version for colours)

Notes: Mean (N = 9) SE Temperate and relative humidity for each storage condition are as follows: environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH), room (20C22C and 82%85% RH), and refrigerator (11C12C, 95% RH). Figure 3 Colour parameter b* (yellow-to-blue) of milk banana at different storage conditions (see online version for colours)

Notes: Mean (N = 9) SE Temperate and relative humidity for each storage condition are as follows: environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH), room (20C22C and 82%85% RH), and refrigerator (11C12C, 95% RH).

Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical attributes


Figure 4 Colour parameter L* (luminous intensity) of milk banana at different storage conditions (see online version for colours)

Notes: Mean (N = 9) SE Temperate and relative humidity for each storage condition are as follows: environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH), room (20C22C and 82%85% RH), and refrigerator (11C12C, 95% RH). Figure 5 Chroma (Cab*) of milk banana at different storage conditions (see online version for colours)

Notes: Mean (N = 9) SE Temperate and relative humidity for each storage condition are as follows: environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH), room (20C22C and 82%85% RH), and refrigerator (11C12C, 95% RH).

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Figure 6

U.L. Opara et al.


Hue angle (Hab*) of milk banana at different storage conditions (see online version for colours)

Notes: Mean (N = 9) SE Temperate and relative humidity for each storage condition are as follows: environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH), room (20C22C and 82%85% RH), and refrigerator (11C12C, 95% RH). Figure 7 Firmness of milk banana at different storage conditions (see online version for colours)

Notes: Mean (N = 9) SE Temperate and relative humidity for each storage condition are as follows: environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH), room (20C22C and 82%85% RH), and refrigerator (11C12C, 95% RH).

Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical attributes

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3.3 Firmness
Storage conditions had significant effect on fruit firmness (Figure 7). The firmness of the banana gradually reduced throughout the storage period in all conditions. Fruit samples stored at room and environmental chamber had lesser firmness (47.3 and 50.5, respectively, on a 100-point scale), than that of refrigerator (93.4 on a 100-point scale) on the eighth day. The changes in firmness (towards softness) during ripening stages were accelerated due to the elevated storage temperature (Abdullah and Pantastico, 1990; Kojima et al., 1994; Mustaffa et al., 1998; Trakulnaleumsai et al., 2006; Bugaud et al., 2007).
Table 1 Effect of storage condition on fruit chemical characteristics and vitamin C content of milk banana at three stages of ripening Storage condition Refrigerator (11C12oC, 95% RH) Room (20C22oC and 82%-85% RH) Environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH) Fully ripe Refrigerator (11C12oC, 95% RH) Room (20C22oC and 82%-85% RH) Environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH) Overripe Refrigerator (11C12oC, 95% RH) Room (20C22oC and 82%-85% RH) Environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH) pH 6.06 a 6.05 a 6.03 a TSS (%) 3.50 b 4.59 a 4.78 a TA (%) TSS:TA ratio Vitamin C (mg/100 g FW) 14.47 b 15.65 a 14.15 b

Ripening stage Unripe

0.12 c 28.92 ab 0.16 b 0.18 a 29.80 a 26.01 b

5.27 a 17.29 c 0.32 c 4.77 b 18.89 b 0.42 b 4.66 c 23.52 a 0.54 a

55.20 a 45.17 b 44.20 b

19.34 a 14.58 b 9.97 c

5.18 a 18.78 c 0.33 c 4.66 b 27.24 a 0.58 a 4.70 b 25.67 b 0.53 b

57.34 a 47.40 b 48.84 b

21.51 a 9.64 c 11.88 b

Note: Similar letters within columns indicate no significant differences among the storage conditions within each ripening stage according to DMRT (N = 9, P < 0.05).

3.4 Chemical properties 3.4.1 pH


Fruit pH was highest for fruits under refrigerated storage compared to environmental chamber and room storage at the fully ripe and overripe stages (Table 1). However, no significant differences in pH among the storage conditions occurred at the unripe stage. The unripe fruit pH values ranged from (6.066.09) while overripe fruit pH was lower and ranged from (4.665.18). These values are consistent with those of John and Marchal

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(1995) and Dadzie and Orchard (1997) who stated that the value of pH decreased to 4.0 at the fully ripe stage. However, Wills et al. (1984) reported inconsistency in pH values of Cavendish banana that showed a decline only to the third stage of ripening but increased from the fourth to the final stage of ripening. Slower change in pH under refrigerated storage is perhaps the reason for higher pH values compared to warmer temperature of the environmental chamber and room storage.

3.4.2 TSS content and TA


The TSS content was highest for fruits stored in the environmental chamber and room, while lowest in refrigerator (Table 1). This is perhaps due to lower temperature that slowed the rate of respiration and thus starch transformation into sugar resulting in lower TSS in refrigerated banana fruits (Marriott et al., 1981). There was a remarkable increase in TSS from 4.78%, 4.59% and 3.50% at unripe stage to 25.67%, 27.77% and 18.77% at the overripe stage under environmental chamber, room, and refrigerator storage, respectively. In previous studies, it was observed that TSS increased to a peak but then decrease with ripening in some cultivars, while it continue to increase in others (Dadzie and Orchard, 1997; Mustaffa et al., 1998). In our study of milk banana, the TSS followed the latter trend. The percentage of TA of banana fruit was highest in fruits stored at the environmental chamber followed by those in room and the lowest TA% was found in refrigerated fruits across all three ripening stages of milk banana (Table 1). This is another indicator of the effect of storage temperature on fruit chemical quality and composition. The ratio of TSS:TA increased for milk banana fruits showed slight variations among storage conditions (Table 1). At all ripening stages, refrigerated fruits showed the highest TSS:TA, whereas little differences were observed in TSS:TA were observed between room and environmental chamber, that can be attributed to the high TA under those conditions.

3.4.3 Vitamin C content


Storage conditions significantly affected vitamin C content in milk banana (Table 1). The variations in vitamin C during ripening stages were uneven at different storage conditions. Wills et al. (1984) also reported similar trends in vitamin C levels of the Cavendish banana (Musa acuminata, AAA group), where vitamin c content changed from 18 mg/100 g in unripe stage to 19 mg/100 g at stage 2, but then declined rapidly to 6 mg/100 g at the last stage of ripening. In our study, at the unripe stage, the highest vitamin C was found at room temperature; for fully ripe fruits, it was significantly high under refrigerated storage followed by room and environmental chamber; and at the overripe stage, the refrigerated fruits had the highest vitamin C followed by environmental chamber and room storage. The higher vitamin C content of refrigerated fruits indicated that lower temperature reduced breakdown of malic acid thus fruits retained higher vitamin C contents, whereas exposure to high temperature under environmental chamber resulted in greater loss of vitamin C content in the banana fruit. Besides temperature, vitamin C contents is affected by relative humidity and physical damage (Wills et al., 1984; Lee and Kader, 2000).

Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical attributes

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3.5 Physiological responses 3.5.1 Respiration (CO2) rate


There were no differences in the respiration rate of milk banana between three storage conditions (Figure 8). However, there was an interaction between conditions, and storage days, having a greater effect at room and environmental chamber compared to refrigerator. The respiration rate was uneven in all storage conditions. It ranged from 15.8 to 97.1 ml kg1 h1 in the first eight days of storage in all conditions. The respiration rate was higher at the room during the first day than in environmental chamber and refrigerator storages. McGlasson and Wills (1972) reported that the respiration of banana fruits stored at the atmosphere were uneven. This could be due to the varietal characteristics, storage temperature, and duration of storage and age of the fruits (Broughton and Wu, 1979).
Figure 8 Respiration rate of milk banana at different storage conditions (see online version for colours)

Notes: Mean (N = 9) SE Temperate and relative humidity for each storage condition are as follows: environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH), room (20C22C and 82%85% RH), and refrigerator (11C12C, 95% RH).

3.5.2 Ethylene (C2H4) production rate


There were significant differences in ethylene production of milk banana fruits among storage conditions and ripening stages (Figure 9). The ethylene production was uneven in all storages and ripening stages. The ethylene production increased to a maximum value of 0.055 to and 0.037 ml kg1 h1 on the sixth and seventh day in room and environmental chamber storage, respectively. In refrigerator storage, the banana produced a maximum of 0.018 ml kg1 h1 on 21st day. The overall ethylene production observed in refrigerator

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storage (0.002 to 0.018 ml kg1 h1) was comparable with that of Kader (2005) who found that ethylene production of banana at 13C was 0.0001 to 0.02 ml kg1 h1.
Figure 9 Ethylene production rate of milk banana at different storage conditions (see online version for colours)

Notes: Mean (N = 9) SE Temperate and relative humidity for each storage condition are as follows: environmental chamber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH), room (20C22C and 82%85% RH), and refrigerator (11C12C, 95% RH).

Conclusions

Storage conditions of varying temperatures significantly affected the physico-chemical quality characteristics of milk banana fruit and its physiological responses at three stages of ripening (i.e., unripe, fully ripe and overripe). Under all storage conditions, fruit steadily lost weight and green colour during storage with storage time. The highest percentage of fruit weight loss occurred under environmental chmaber (12-h cycle: 28C/70% RH and 18C/50% RH) followed by room storage (20C22C and 82%85% RH) and the least percentage of fruit weight loss was found in refrigerated storage (11C12C, 95% RH). Fruit chlorophyll degradation (degreening) were lowest under refrigerated storage compared to those stored at elevated temperatures. Fruit chemical quality characteristics from all ripening stages were significantly affected by the storage conditions. Storage at high temperature (i.e., environmental chamber and room) resulted in higher TSS and TA, but reduced pH and TSS:TA ratio compared to refrigerated storage. Fruit vitamin C varied among storage conditions, with highest vitamin C content for unripe fruit was at room storage, whereas for full ripe and overripe fruits, refrigerator resulted in the highest vitamin C. Respiration rate and ethylene production showed a rapid increase in the first week of storage under higher temperatures compared to refrigerated storage.

Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical attributes

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The significantly lower respiration rate and higher retention of vitamin C content in both fully ripe and overripe fruit stored under refrigerated conditions highlights the importance of maintaining the cold chain to assure the quality and nutritional value of fresh horticultural produce such as banana.

Acknowledgements
This work is based upon research supported by His Majestys Strategic Research Project at Sultan Qaboos University awarded to Prof. UL Opara and the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and National Research Foundation.

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