Induced Ripening Agents and Their Effect on Fruit Quality of Banana

Ripening is a genetically programmed highly coordinated irreversible phenomenon which includes many biochemical changes including tissue sofening, pigment changes, aroma and favour volatile production, reduction in astringency, and many others. Banana is one of mostly consumed fruit crops in the world. Since banana is a climactic fruit, induced ripening is essential in commercial scale banana cultivation and distribution to assure good favour, texture, and uniform peel colour. Ethylene gas, acetylene gas liberated from calcium carbide, and ethephon are some of the commercial ripening agents used successfully in the trade and they have been widely studied for their efectiveness on initiating and accelerating the ripening process and their efect on fruit quality and health related issues. Lauryl alcohol was also shown as a ripening agent for bananas. Most studies suggest that there is no diference in biochemical composition and sensory quality in bananas treated with chemicals that induce ripening from naturally ripened bananas. However volatile profles of artifcially ripened bananas were shown to be considerably diferent from naturally ripened bananas in some studies. Tis review discusses induced ripening agents and their efect on fruit quality of bananas.