Regulation of 1-MCP-treated banana fruit quality by exogenous ethylene and temperature

Ripe green banana (Musa sp., AAA group, cv. Zhonggang) fruits treated with I-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) significantly delayed the peaks of respiration rate and ethylene production but did not reduce the peak height. Mature banana fruits were also treated with 1-MCP for 24h at 20degreesC and then exposed to 50 muL/L ethylene or stored at different temperatures to analyse the effects of external added ethylene. Reductions in firmness, titratable acidity (TA) and starch content (SC) of banana fruits were remarkably delayed by 1-MCP treatment. 1-MCP treatment also delayed the increase of total soluble sugar (TSS) and soluble pectin (SP) contents. Soluble solids (SS) content in the 1-MCP-treated fruit remained almost unchanged during the first 10 days of storage at 20degreesC. No significant differences in TA, TSS, SP and SS levels were observed between the fruit treated with 1-MCP alone and the fruit treated with 1-MCP plus ethylene. The 1-MCP effects on all the parameters related to banana ripening were enhanced by low temperature storage and reduced by high temperature storage.