Tissue softening commences, during which starch is degraded to sugars in both pulp and peel, and rupture strength of cell walls slowly deteriorates. The ripening process involves the hydrolysis of the starch in the ripening plant. There is a rapid decline in starch content and a corresponding increase in sugar content.
Most of the sugar in ripe banana is sucrose, glucose, and fructose, sucrose being predominant.
This activity is a form of autolysis (self-digestion). The starch also can be broken down after consumption via action of pancreatic alpha-amylases, as well as other enzymes.
The water content of the pulp increase by 3 to 4% during the 10-11 days required for ripening to ‘eating ripe’.
During ripening, peel color changes from dark green to bright yellow and this is due to chlorophyll breakdown which gradually unmasks the carotenoid pigments also present in the unripe peel.
During the color changes the pulp becomes softer and sweeter as the ration of sugars to starch increases.
Ripening process of banana
