Effects of Hydrogen Sulfide on Storage Quality of Postharvest Banana Fruits (Musa ABB Pisang Awak)

Abstract

Effects of different concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on the quality of postharvest banana fruits (Musa ABB Pisang Awak) were studied. Pisang Awak bananas fruits were treated with H2S released by 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 mmol/L NaHS solution respectively, and the firmness, color, weight loss rate, browning index, soluble solids (TSS), titratable acid (TA), respiration rate and ethylene production rate were observed and measured regularly during storage. The results showed that H2S treatment significantly delayed the increase of epidermis yellowing and pulp browning index of postharvest Pisang Awak bananas, slowed down the increase of fruit softening and weight loss rate, and inhibited the increase of TSS content and TA content to some extent. Besides, there was no significant difference among the 3 groups treated with different concentrations of TSS (P>0.05), and the effect of 0.6 mmol/L NaHS treatment group was more significant. At the same time, NaHS treatment significantly inhibited the increase of respiration and ethylene production rate (P0.05). Generally speaking, different concentrations of NaHS could delay the ripening and senescence of postharvest Pisang Awak bananas, and the fresh-keeping effect of 0.6 mmol/L NaHS treatment was the most obvious.

Keywords

• pisang awak bananas
• hydrogen sulfide
• softening
• etiolation
• ripening and senescence