Effects of Colletotrichum musae Infection on the Postharvest Quality and Related Enzymatic Activities of Banana Fruit
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Abstract:
The effects of artificial inoculation with Colletotrichum musae on the postharvest quality of banana fruit were determined. Two banana cultivars (Musa acuminata L. AAA Cavendish ‘Formosana’ and Musa spp. ABB) were inoculated with C. musae, and changes in the hardness, chlorophyll content, total soluble solid content, reducing sugar content, titratable acid content, respiration intensity, and activities of enzymes related to disease resistance (polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase) were analyzed. The results showed that fruit hardness decreased rapidly after inoculation with C. musae, and was significantly lower than that of the control after four days of storage. C. musae infection led to a significant increase in the rate of chlorophyll decomposition in banana pericarp and the rate of the green-brown color change in banana fruit. Furthermore, C. musae infection promoted the continuous transformation of polysaccharides (e.g., starch) in fruit into soluble sugars, resulting in a significant increase in soluble solid and reducing sugar content; these changes were more pronounced in the Musa spp. ABB cultivar. C. musae infection accelerated the increase in titratable acid content during storage, enhanced the respiration rate and the rate of infection, and significantly increased the activities of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase in banana fruit. These results indicate that infection with C. musae can accelerate the maturation, softening, senescence, and decay of banana fruit.
