Mechanical damage of bananas

Mechanical damage is a major cause of post-harvest losses in banana fruits resulting in reduced shelf-life and nonacceptance of the fruit by the consumer.

Quality of fruits is a major determinant for the consumer’s willingness to purchase. Studies have shown that cosmetic damages in bananas resulted in poor consumer acceptance and marketability. Mechanical stresses is one of the major factors for the post-harvest quality deterioration.

Banana fruits show physical and physiological responses to mechanical damages that are mainly linked to the appearance, with advanced symptoms of necrosis in the damaged region. Mechanical injuries caused higher enzyme activity in affected area followed by alterations in colour and flavour, tissue softening, faster ripening, increased weight loss, increased invasion of microorganisms, and higher enzyme activity in the affected area.

Also, in response to certain types of stress, there is also an increased activity of enzymes responsible for defensive mechanisms of plant tissues, such as peroxidase, which is connected to the synthesis of lignin and polyphenol oxidase, which is involved in the darkening of the damaged region, as a result of the oxidation of phenols.

Mechanical damage expedited ripening and influenced the rate of conversion of starch into total soluble sugars (TSS) in the pulp.
Mechanical damage of bananas

Banana Physical Characteristics

Banana Physical Characteristics
Healthy filling, and even already wrapped for the consumer, bananas are one of nature’s ideal foods and the world’s most popular fruits. They are undoubtedly an extremely healthy food.

Bananas have the beneficial combination of being rich in carbohydrate – the average banana provides about 95 calories – while containing little fat. Bananas contain nearly all the essential vitamins in particularly vitamins C, B6, B2 and folate – as well as magnesium and potassium. Potassium is a vital mineral for muscle development and also helps to regulate blood pressure.

No other fruit so readily or so widely eaten as a snack in developed countries, Bananas also rarely cause allergic reactions, apart from migraine headaches and indigestion in a few adults, and are popular first solid food for babies.

They are also useful for treating childhood stomach upsets, although there is as yet in firm evidence to support the theory that bananas may help cell and mucus production in the stomach lining, thereby healing ulcers and preventing new ones.

Aside from these general properties, the bananas industry has been assiduous in prompting the use of the fruit for specific dietary needs, most notably by sportspeople such as tennis players and racing cyclists, who have an increased need for vitamins and minerals as well as for carbohydrates without associated fats.

Bananas also contain a high level of natural sugar, in both their fresh and dried form, which they release quickly into blood stream.

The banana industry has also pointed out that the unique combination of vitamins and sugars within bananas releases energy onto the body over long time improving stamina and the powers of endurance and concentration.
Banana Physical Characteristics