Textural changes of banana and plantain pulp during ripening

Abstract

Green banana and plantain fruits were treated with ethylene or kept untreated, then stored in environmental chambers at 13, 16, 20 and 25°C for 8 days. On daily basis, cylindrical samples of the fruits were compressed twice at 50 mm min−1 to 75% of the original height. Changes in the textural properties were estimated by the texture profile analysis (TPA) technique, involving such parameters as hardness, chewiness, guminess, cohesiveness, springiness. Storage time significantly reduced all TPA parameters except cohesiveness. Untreated bananas were harder than untreated plantains at all stages of storage. In treated fruits, however, the trend was reversed, and bananas softened more than plantains. Generally, treated fruits resulted in reduced TPA parameters as compared to untreated fruits. Untreated fruits of both varieties had a good correlation between pH and hardness-1 while treated fruits did not show any correlation between the two properties. © 1997 SCI.