ABSTRACT

Banana is a climacteric fruit and produces ethylene gas during its storage. More the production of ethylene faster will be ripening rate. The effect of ethylene induced ripening also has an effect of pectin degradation in the banana peels. At higher ripening rate pectin degradation is also faster and results lesser extractability of pectin from the peels both for unripe and ripe banana system. Pectin characterization obtained from unripe banana was also made and it showed banana stored under modified atmospheric condition of storage where the ethylene was absorbed by potassium permanganate, showed better character of pectin. With greater ethylene production rate ripening process is faster resulted more pectin degradation, resulting in softening of texture.