effect of potassium permanganate, edible wax and packaging on quality and storage life of bananas

bananas are climacteric fruits and controlling ripening is effective in reducing loss. this experiment studied the effect of packaging (plastic bag, edible wax and plastic bag, plastic bag and 2 or 4 g/kg potassium permanganate) over 5 weeks of cold storage on the quality and characteristics of cavendish cultivar bananas. the samples were removed from storage at 8, 16, 24, 32 and 40 days and fruit maturity (ph, hardness of fruit pulp, percent tannin, pentoses, amount of phenol, total carbohydrates) were measured. the experiment was a factorial completely randomized design with four replications (each with four bananas). changes in ripening measured for control bananas stored in an open area showed total soluble solids (tss), pentoses and glucose increased and ph, hardness of fruit pulp, percent of tannin, and amount of phenol decreased. the use of wax treatment and plastic bags or wax and plastic bag with potassium permanganate decreased the ripening process significantly. wax and plastic bags and 4 g potassium permanganate was the most effective treatment to prevent an increase in tss, pentoses and glucose and decrease ph, hardness of fruit pulp, percent of tannin, and amount of phenol. the use of potassium permanganate, plastic bags and wax was effective in preventing the effects of ethylenes and delay ripening of bananas.