Wild Sunflower as an Agent That Inhibits the Release of Ethylene Gas to Prolong the Shelf Life of Banana Fruits

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

A banana is an edible fruit -botanically a berry -produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa. As well as being eaten raw, bananas are a great addition to a variety of recipes including smoothies, baked goods, and cereal where you are reducing the amount of refined sugar.

Ethylene is a hormone produced by plants that aids in the ripening and aging process of plants. Ripening is a term applied to fruit that describes the transition from physiological maturity to senescence. The transient increase in respiration rate may be evoked more than once but ethylene exposure hastens their senescence, shortening their storage life and potentially causing a loss of eating quality. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripening)

METHODS

To serve the purpose of the study that is to attest wild sunflower as an agent that inhibits the release of ethylene gas to prolong the shelf life of banana fruits, experimentation was conducted. The three varieties of banana particularly: Lacatan, Latundan, and Saba with the leaves and stems of wild sunflower covered with plastic were utilized in this study to affect the delay in the ripening process of bananas. A total of 10 kilograms per replicate was used in the experimentation. To observe the effect of prolonging the shelf life of bananas, the storing time lasted for 48 hours in the three varieties of bananas. Banana alone and calcium carbide were also used as a control group in the experiment.

RESULTS

Based on the results, the wild sunflowers' leaves and stems delayed the ripening of banana in T1, T2 and T3. In the 3 varieties of banana, the treatment having 1.5 kg of wild sunflower took the longest for about 264 hours and above days to preserve the freshness of the bananas. The odor and taste of the banana done with the respondents were acceptable.

DISCUSSIONS

The data after 24-48 hours of storage and the color and appearance of the fruits were recorded and subjected to statistical analysis using ANOVA. Results showed that the stems and leaves of wild sunflower began to decompose before 48 hours. The release of methane combines with oxygen in the decomposition process resulted in the formation of CO2 and H2O, which made the decrease in the level of ethylene gas from bananas (Pantastico 1975).