Physicochemical Changes during Ripening of Bananas Grown in Cameroon

摘要

Physico-chemical changes in the fruits of five and nine cultivars of cooking and dessert banana respectively were determined. The ripening stage was defined in terms of peel colour changes from green to yellow. At harvest, the fruit girth and length as well as the peel thickness vary significantly (P<0.05) according to cultivars; cooking bananas exhibiting the highest values respectively (6.00 cm, 27.62 cm and 3.58 mm). During ripening, the peel dry matter content, pulp to peel ratio, total soluble solid and total titratable acidity of the pulp increased (from 8.63 to 24.20 g/100 g, 1.38 to 7.77, 1.27 to 19.3 g/l and 276.3 to 1491 mEq/100 g, respectively) while pulp firmness, pH and dry matter content of the pulps decreased respectively from 3.2 to0.15 kg/cm~2, 6.34 to 4.48 and 40.12 to 18 g/100 g. These physicochemical characteristics coupled to pulp colour, fruit girth and length as well as other sensorial parameters are actually used by Musa breeders at CARBAP and food processors in Cameroon for the creation and selection of new hybrids with high agronomic performance and accepted by consumers as well as the production of good quality Mz/sa-derived foods, respectively.