Effect of Different Edible Oil Coating on Post-Harvest Quality and Storage Life of Banana Fruit
Abstract
Muhammad Asghar, Abdul Mateen Khattak, Ahmad Farooq, Waqas Habib, Razia Bibi, Tariq Rahim and Manzoor Ahmed
An experiment was carried out to study the “Effect of different edible oil coatings on postharvest quality and storage life of banana fruits” at the Postharvest Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan, during 2021-2022. The banana fruit cultivar (cv) Cavendish was obtained from a local market in Peshawar at the physiologically mature stage. The experiment was laid out using a completely randomized design (CRD) with two factors replicated two times. The fruits were then kept in packaging materials with one apple (cv. Anna) per bunch. When the fruits were ripened, they were divided into two groups: one group was coated with edible oil (olive, coconut and butter oil), and the other was stored (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 days) and kept at room temperature (26°C) at 90%-95% RH for 12 days. The data regarding banana fruits coated with butter oil showed the maximum fruit firmness (3.29 kg/cm2), titratable acidity (0.28%), ascorbic acid content (4.86 mg/100 g), fruit color score (7.3), fruit taste score (7.8) and fruit decay (0%). The maximum TSS concentration was observed in banana fruits coated with olive oil (26.19 °Brix). For the other means for storage duration, the maximum fruit firmness (4 kg/cm2), minimum fruit decay (0%) and minimum TSS (24 °Brix) were recorded for freshly ripened banana fruits. The maximum taste score and color score were observed for fruits stored for 12 days. Most of the studied attributes were significantly affected by the T × SD interaction. The present results revealed that banana fruits harvested at physiological maturity ripened under natural ripening agents, i.e., apple, coated with butter oil retained most of the quality attributes for 12 days, are recommended for better shelf life and consumer preference. Because of the impact of edible oil coatings on banana plants, consumer performance can be assessed through various methods, sensory evaluation, shelf life, quality attribute assessment and cost benefit analysis.