April 05, 2024 | Horticulturae |
Conducted by Prince of Songkla University and Burapha University in Thailand, along with the PG and Research Centre in Biotechnology in India, this study addresses the challenge of chilling injury (CI) in banana pericarp, which can severely impact fruit quality and shelf life. Melatonin (MT), a derivative of plant tryptophan, has demonstrated potential in mitigating CI and related physiological disorders in tropical and subtropical fruits.
The study investigated the effectiveness of MT at different concentrations (0, 50, and 100 µM/L) applied as a coating on banana pericarp to control CI and physicochemical degradation during storage at 7 °C for five days. Assessments of fruit quality were conducted daily.
Results revealed that the MT100 treatment significantly reduced the severity of CI index, electrolytic leakage (EL), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were notably suppressed in MT-treated samples compared to the control. Moreover, higher concentrations of MT led to elevated levels of glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (AA). Although total phenolic content (TPC) and total carotenoid contents (TCC) increased in MT-treated samples, their concentrations were not significantly affected by MT concentrations. Furthermore, MT-treated pericarps exhibited increased levels of phenolic compounds and enzymes associated with oxidative stress, suggesting that applying a higher MT coating (100 µM/L) can effectively reduce CI and associated losses in bananas during post-harvest storage.