Banana is very important perishable fruit produced in tropical and subtropical countries. It contains good nutritional value and bioactive components, which needed for healthy life. However, it has a short life because of its perishability. Quality deterioration is high after harvest since it is climacteric fruit and undergoes many biochemical changes during ripening stage. Thus, it requires special attention during postharvest handling in order to extend the shelf life and maintain postharvest quality of banana fruit. The application of appropriate postharvest techniques is crucially important to preserve the fresh quality of banana fruit after harvest. Heat treatment is one of these postharvest techniques, which has been used as a plant quarantine procedure in fresh fruit. Hot water treatment was shown to significantly lower the respiration and ethylene production rates of fresh produce. Physicochemical properties including peel color, total soluble solids, pH value, physiological weight loss, peel to pulp ratio can be influenced by hot water treatment. Peel color change was retarded and fruit firmness was maintained by hot water treatments. Furthermore, hot water dipping delayed fruit ripening by keeping fruit firmness, lowering the increase of pulp firmness (N), lower the continuous increase of total soluble solids (% brix), weight loss (%) and slowing the decrease in treatable acidity (TA) and slow retaining of pH fruit pulp during storage. Further research should be needed in combination of heat treatments with other postharvest technologies (such as ethylene suppressors, plant growth regulators, edible coatings, biological control agents and adequate packaging) could not only maintain physicochemical quality, but also improve the sensor quality of the commodity.
Banana; Postharvest handling; Hot water treatment; Physicochemical; Fresh quality