Effects of edible coatings with various natural browning inhibitors on the qualitative characteristics of banana (Musa acuminata Cavendish Subgroup) during storage

Bananas (Musa acuminata Cavendish Subgroup) have a short shelf-life due to surface browning. This study aimed to select the best edible coating agent including a natural browning inhibitor (green tea, Rhus chinensis, rice bran and Morus alba root extracts) that can extend the shelf-life of bananas. Bananas were coated with 1.5% carboxymethyl cellulose and 2.0% Tween 80 (CM), CM and 1.5% green tea extract, CM and 1.5% Rhus chinensis extract, CM and rice bran extract, and CM and 1.5% Morus alba extract (CM-M). An uncoated sample was used as the control. The weight loss, firmness, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, browning index (BI), total chlorophyll content, and color of the coated bananas during storage were evaluated. Treatment with CM-M exhibited lesser changes in the weight and firmness of bananas during storage, compared with the other treatments. Moreover, CM-M delayed the enzymatic browning of bananas during storage, maintained the PPO activity, and showed the lowest BI, compared with other treatments. The changes in the total chlorophyll content and color (ΔE value) were lower in the CM-M coated samples than in the control samples. The CM-M coated samples showed decreases in the total chlorophyll content and ΔE value compared with that noted in bananas with the other coatings. Therefore, our findings indicated Morus alba root extract supplementation to be the most suitable edible coating agent, which maintains the quality and appearance of bananas during storage.