Pre-storage putrescine treatment maintains quality and prolongs postharvest life of <em>Musa acuminata</em> L.

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the effect of putrescine on quality and postharvest life of Musa acuminata L. during storage. The fruits were dipped at different concentrations of putrescine (0.5, 1 and 2 mM for 30 min) and distilled water as ‘control’. Changes in fruit quality attributes such as weight loss, firmness, skin color (L*, hue angle), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), pH, ascorbic acid, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and polygalacturonase (PG) enzymatic activity were calculated at harvest and after 5, 10, 15 and 20 days of storage at 0±1°C, 80-85% relative humidity. Weight loss, fruit softening, skin color changes, TSS, pH, the activity of PPO and PG increased during fruit ripening but the rate of changes was significantly slowed in putrescine treated fruits. Moreover, putrescine application maintained higher levels of TA, ascorbic acid and reduced the loss of sensory acceptability and decay incidence compared to control. In conclusion, the postharvest dip treatment of putrescine could be an effective means for extending the storage life of Musa acuminata L.