Controllo della maturazione post-raccolta della banana (Musa sp.) attraverso l' inibizione della percezione dell' etilene: effetto dell' 1-metilciclopropene
Author(s)
De Martino, Giovanni
Date Issued
October 3, 2008
Type
Doctoral Thesis
Abstract
This PhD project aimed to the understanding of the effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on banana fruit. 1-MCP is a new ethylene antagonist that has been shown to prevent or delay ethylene-induced effects on many fruit: this gaseous compound inhibits ethylene action by binding to ethylene receptors. In fact, the affinity of 1-MCP for the binding sites is higher than ethylene. Bananas are a typical climacteric fruit where once ripening has been initiated with ethylene exhibit a short shelf life due to rapid deterioration of peel colour and pulp firmness. Bananas are commercially ripened by treating ‘mature green’ fruit with ethylene. Once ripening has commenced the peel uniformly and rapidly changes colour to full yellow with brown flecks within 2 - 4 days at 20°C. In our experiments we tested the efficacy of 1-MCP on prolonging banana shelf life. We evaluated different various exposure time (3-6-12-24 hours), different timing of application (during early climateric stage or when partially ripe), different ethylene exposure time (24-48 hours) and the effect of temperature and relative humidity on uneven peel degreening observed during the trials. Under the conditions tested we found that application for 24 h at 20°C of 200 nl l-1 1-MCP on bananas at colour stage 2 successfully delayed ethylene-induced effects, resulting in increased shelf life in terms of delayed colour development, pulp firmness and soluble solids accumulation. Moreover, we observed that delayed treatments on partially ripe bananas (colour stage 3-4) were not capable to contrast ripening-related events. Despite good results of 1-MCP delaying ripening, an uneven peel colour development following treatment has been observed. This uneven ripening of the peel appears when, after ethylene treatment, 1-MCP is applied to bananas which have not completely lost their green peel colour, and results in a dull-grey appearance. Here we report and discuss our results and some possibile reasons for the failure of 1-MCP treated fruit to ripen normally.
Additional information
Dottorato di ricerca in Biotecnologie alimentari
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