Effect of Ethylene Curing on the Physical Properties and Nutritional Contents of Thai’s Banana (Kluai Namwa)

Abstract

Banana is one of energy source fruit which growth all over Thailand. As a shortage shelf life, most of bananas are cut while it still green in order to maintain its physical quality and also the damage while transporting. Practically after cutting banana, there are two different ways of ripeness; naturally ripe and gas curing. Both ways may affect to the quality of banana differently. So, this research interest has paid attention to compare the change of physical properties, potassium and magnesium contents in bananas from different ripeness methods. Three maturation phases of banana were applied as an unripe, naturally ripe and curing. Thai Banana of Kluai Namwa (Musa ABB cv. Kluai “Namwa”) was used in this study. Kluai Namwa was cultivated after 15 weeks (when it still green), and then divided into two groups. The first one was kept it naturally at the room temperature until it ripe, the second one was cured using ethylene gas for 24 hours in order to make it ripe. The results showed that there were a significant different (p≤0.05) in color and hardness of bananas, as well as the potassium and magnesium contents of bananas from two different ripeness ways. The potassium content in cured Kluai Namwa showed higher than that in unripe and naturally ripe Kluai Namwa of 383.02, 373.20 and 324.50 (mg/100g), respectively. In addition, the unripe Kluai Namwa showed the highest magnesium content compared to cured Kluai Namwa and naturally ripe Kluai Namwa of 37.12, 35.41 and 27.08 (mg/100g), respectively. According to the results, it was recommended that curing method may help to increase the potassium and magnesium contents in ripe banana.