Banana (Musa sapientum L.

Bananas, known by the scientific name Musa sapientum, are rich in vitamins A, B, C and G.
Although they are 75 percent water, they also contain alkali-forming minerals, lots of potassium, natural
sugars, protein and little fat. They are easy to digest and the food of choice of many professional
athletes when they are competing because they provide quick energy and provide potassium lost during
exercise. Banana belongs to the tropical fruits as it grows more profusely in tropical rain forest areas.

In addition, the results of the sudy of Tran (2011) and Khader et. al. (2017) has piont out that
bananas are consumed by people of all ages, from infants to adults, since they provide vital calories and
critical micronutrients, as well as a significant quantity of carbohydrate, crude fiber, protein, fat, ash,
phosphorus, calcium, iron, ß-carotene, riboflavin, niacin, and ascorbic acid. Globally, (In sub-Saharan
Africa, it is estimated that over 30 million people subsist on bananas as the principal source of dietary
carbohydrate (Karamura et al., 2010).

According to Arias et al., (2013), that the banana (Musa sapientum L.) is a very important crop in
the world, it is the world's fourth largest food crop. In relation, Frison and Sharrock (2011), stated that
banana and plantain (Musa spp.) are ranked the fourth most important food crop in the world after rice
(Oryza sativa), maize (Zeamays) and wheat (Triticum spp.) is grown practically throughout the
archipelago. It is one of the easiest crops to grow. The banana industry contributes significantly to the
country's economy. Export earnings from banana represent 2.3 percent of the total Philippine export
revenue, as the country is one of the top banana exporters in the world.

BBS (2010) said that bananas are the most widely planted fruit crop in Bangladesh, accounting
for roughly 20% of total fruit production and 36% of total land area, yielding 7.46 million metric tons of
bananas. The annual world production of bananas is around 114 million metric tons from an area of 5.6
million ha (FAO 2018). According to the Department of Agriculture, many banana varieties grow freely
all over Sri Lanka, all year round. They are cultivated in large, medium, and small-scale orchards, and in
home gardens. According to Agricultural statistics in Sri Lanka, 2015, the total production of banana is
nearly 530, 124 MT annually.

Furthermore, (Botondi et al. 2014) has showed that bananas ripen quickly in nature, with
variations in skin color, flavor, and texture. In relation, Eduardo (2012) illustrated that natural ripening,
on the other hand, may cause softening with non-uniform, dull, pale yellow and unappealing color.
Hence, (Subbaiah et al. 2013) has said that the natural process of gradual ripening and separating the
fruit's peel causes a lot of weight loss. Wholesalers in many underdeveloped nations, such as Ethiopia,
smoke ripe bananas for 24-72 hours (Berhe et al., 2010).

However, (Kulkarni et al., 2014) said that artificial heat from burning rice husks, wood litters, and
other sources is used to ripen bananas in some parts of Bangladesh, although there is little or no
knowledge of how quality changes with heat exposure time. According to them, prolonged smoke
treatment is ineffective and dangerous to one's health, as well as the evolution of carbon monoxide.
Due to this inadequate smoke treatment causes uneven ripening and poor color development on the
outside. As a result, both the edible and marketable characteristics of ripening bananas are in question.
Apple( Mali's Domestica)

(Malus domestica) also Known as apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree. Apple trees
are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus Malus. The tree originated
in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. In additon, apples have been
grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and were brought to North America by European
colonists. Apples have religious and mythological significance in many cultures, including Norse, Greek,
and European Christian tradition.

According to (Bautista J. et al., 2013) Apple is a useful ripening agent owing to faster ripening as
compared to the use of controversial calcium carbide and it also reduces the time of ripening Bio
ethylene can also be obtained from fruits and vegetable peels which give off relatively high amounts of
ethylene. The fruits are commonly used as the food flavoring, as a souring agent for local dishes, or they
may be eaten raw. Bilimbi fruit is also used to remove stains on clothes and metal blades and as a hand
washes due to its high acidity and high oxalic acid content (Morton J. F. 2010).

Fruit Ripening

Fruit ripening is a very well-orchestrated physiological process of Angiosperm species which is

under developmental, hormonal and epigenetic regulation and is finely tuned by environmental stimuli (
Palma et al., 2011; Bianchetti et al., 2018; Corpas et al., 2018). Over the years, a number of signaling
molecules (e.g., phytohormones) have been implicated in controlling fruit ripening, some of them
playing very well-recognized roles like ethylene, abscisic acid (ABA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS),
and others emerging only more recently as driving forces of this physiological process, such as nitric
oxide (NO) and NO-derived molecules (reactive nitrogen species, RNS), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and
melatonin (Corpas and Palma, 2018; Corpas et al., 2018, 2019; Mukherjee, 2019). Among these
newcomers, NO has received comparatively more attention, and it has been found that during fruit
ripening this species promotes post-translational modifications (PTMs) through protein nitration and
protein S-nitrosation of proteins (Corpas and Palma, 2018).

Fruit ripening has been a main component of plant research around the world, not only
because of its biological and evolutionary importance in seed production and dispersal, but also because
of its implications in deciding the quality and nutritional worth of some of the world's most popular
meals (Agius et al., 2005; Palma et al., 2015, 2018; Karasawa and Mohan, 2018).

The Origin of Fruit Ripening (Mandy Kendrick,2010)

Bananas hanging on a tree or in the produce section of the supermarket start out green, hard, and
unappealing. Fruit ripening is caused by a natural form of ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone that is able
to ripened fruit faster.
 However, according to later study, people have employed numerous strategies to improve ethylene
production for thousands of years, even if they didn't realize it. Chinese farmers would keep pears in
tight rooms with incense burning to induce ripening, and ancient Egyptian harvesters sliced open the figs
they picked to stimulate ripening. Wounding and high temperatures cause plants to release ethylene.

In addition, after identifying ethylene as the active ingredient in vapors seeping from a gas line in
2012, Russian scientist Dimitry Neljubow demonstrated that it might alter plant development. The
fumes caused the plants in the area to grow unnaturally. Researchers discovered three decades later
that plants could not only respond to ethylene, but could also create it on their own, with ethylene
production increasing when the scientists sliced (damaged) the fruit with a knife.

Effect of ethylene in fruit ripening

Even at the very low concentration, ethylene, whether endogenous or exogenous in form, has a
variety of effects on fruit growth, development, and storage life, which can be useful or harmful. It's
worth mentioning that ethylene encourages plants to produce more of its own ethylene (Yang 2010),
therefore keeping ethylene levels in check is crucial for crop quality. Saltveit summarizes the effects of
ethylene on fresh fruit (2014). Chemical fruit thinning, assisting harvest by triggering fruit drop, boosting
color and flavor development, and speeding up ripening are just a few of the benefits. Ethylene is
utilized in tomato, apple, plum, citrus, cucumber, grape, guava, peach, pepper, and pineapple crops,
among many others, to promote or speed ripening (Abeles et al. 2011).

Morover, chemical thinning of fruit, assisting harvest by inducing fruit drop, enhancing color and
flavor growth, and speeding up ripening are just a few of the advantages. To induce or accelerate
ripening, ethylene is used in tomato, apple, plum, citrus, cucumber, grape, guava, peach, pepper, and
pineapple crops, among many others (Abeles et al. 2011).

In a different way, the negative effects of ethylene on fruit are somewhat similar.One of the key
reasons ethylene is used as a controlled treatment for fruit is to meet consumer aesthetic requirements.
Ethylene is used in apple, banana, and pepper crops, for example, to obtain the signature ripe color until
the fruit flesh ages too much, resulting in better quality produce.When ethylene is administered over a
lengthy length of time, such as in cucumbers and peppers, it can cause undesirable softening. Excessive
flesh softening occurred in watermelons after three days of exposure to 5 L.L-1 of ethylene at 18°C,
according to Risse and Hatton (2011).While ethylene promotes ripening and hence improves fruit flavor
and scent (Watada 2015), total volatiles may be reduced when compared to naturally ripened fruit
(Stern et al, 2014).
Changes during Ripening

Compositional and structural changes occur during ripening leads to the fruit being desirable
and edible. Among these changes, textural change is very important and a major event in fruit ripening.
These textural changes differ with species where some fruits such as banana, mango, and papaya
undergo substantial softening and fruits such as apple normally exhibit less softening. Textural changes
and fruit softening are due to depolymerization and solubilization of cell wall components and loss of
cell structure (K. chen et. al, 2010). According to gene expression analysis it has been revealed that
ethylene directly regulates the transcription of both a softening-related PpPG gene that encodes an α-L-
arabinofuranosidase/β-xylosidase (PpARF/XYL) and an expansin (H. Hayama et. al). In some fruits such as
bananas which contain high level of starch in the fruit flesh, enzymatic hydrolysis of starch is a major
factor in fruit softening.

Colour development is an important maturity index of many fruits and associated with ripening.
In many cases the colour change during fruit ripening is due to the unmasking of preexisting pigments by
degradation of chlorophylls and synthesis of anthocyanins and carotenoids (C. Lizada et. al). It has been
reported that ethylene is involved in regulation of genes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis (A. El-
Kreamy et. al. Fruits emit volatile compounds which are responsible for flavour and aroma of the certain
fruit. According to J. song et al. and M. Yamaguchi studies have been done to explain the association
between volatile synthesis and ethylene production. Ethylene treatments can enhance the aroma
volatile production in mangoes and honeydew melons. Further H. Halder-doll and J.B Golding et al
showed that aroma production is reduced when ethylene biosynthesis is inhibited by using amino
ethoxy vinyl glycine (AVG) or 1-methylcyclopropane (1-MCP) indicating that aroma synthesis is
correlated with ethylene production and action in fruits.

Induced Ripening of Bananas

According to Lustre et al. (2012) fruit ripening is the result of a mix of physiological, biochemical,
and molecular processes that result in changes in pigments, sugar content, acid content, flavor, aroma,
texture, and other characteristics. Bananas are climacteric fruits, they are frequently taken during the
pre-climacteric stage and artificially matured for commercial purposes. However artificial ripening allows
dealers to reduce transportation losses as well. In addition, artificial ripening allows traders to reduce
product losses during shipping while still releasing the product at the desired ripening stage on time.
Moreover different ripening chemicals can be used to artificially ripen bananas.

Lustreet al. (2012) compared the physicochemical changes occurring during natural ripening and
ethylene induce in “Saba” bananas. Here it was shown that ethylene affects the rate of chemical
changes during ripening; nevertheless, it did not significantly affect the final levels of sugar and starch
content in the ripe pulp. According to them, the conducted to examine comparative effect of ethylene
gas on banana ripening showed that fruits treated with ethylene exhibited the similar colour score and
soluble solids content in fruits treated in natural ripening. However, the results of their study was
further recorded that sensory quality is the same in the fruits treated with ethylene gas and natural
ripening when compared ethylene gas is more effective.

Barry and Giovannoni (2012) dicussed about the diversity in the way fruiting plants nourish,
disperse, and protect their newly developed seeds. Some species form a simple, dry seed pod that
bursts to disperse seeds when they mature, while the fruiting plants typically chosen for cultivation have
larger, fleshy fruits, some of which have evolved complex textures, aromas, and flavors to attract the
fauna necessary for seed dispersal. Moreover, the process of forming these relatively substantial fruits
varies from species to species, as does the process of fruit maturation, also known as ripening.
Additionally, regardless of the apparent diversity in fleshy fruits, there are many aspects of fruit ripening
that are evolutionary conserved between species.

Giovannoni (2012) added that those observed include the production of aromatic compounds,
color alteration, a change in fruit texture, and increased susceptibility to infection. These similarities
support the notion that the genetic mechanisms for fruit ripening are also conserved between species.
Furthermore, Saltveit (2016) has said thata lack of understanding of the underlying molecular
mechanisms for fruit ripening is delaying the widespread application of effective solutions and thereby
allowing large amounts of produce to be wasted. As a result, the economic impact on farmers can be
severe. Still, ethylene gas plays an essential role as a hormone in fruit ripening (Lanahan et al. 2018), and
can affect fruit physiology whether the species is climacteric or non-climacteric (Giovannoni 2012).

On the other hand, the study of Fattah S. A. et al. (2010); Jayan T.V. (2011) and Vila R. (2014)
stated that the advancement of science and technology, many artificial fruit ripening procedures have
been widely perceived to meet the needs of users and other economic influences. However, in recent
years, artificial fruit ripening has been viewed as a source of concern, and the effects of artificial ripening
have been called into doubt due to a variety of health concerns. If eaten directly, artificial fruit ripening
reduces the oxygen delivery to the brain, and chronic hypoxia can occur as a result . As well as, it has a
number of short- and long-term health consequences. The alkaline group, Calcium Carbide, irritates the
mucosal tissue in the digestive area.

Recently, an upset stomach has been reported after consuming carbide-ripened bananas. As
shows by Siddiqui M. W. et al. (2010) that eating fruits ripened with calcium carbide may not cause an
allergic reaction right away, the process of applying the calcium carbide to the fruits can cause a variety
of side effects, including headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, frequent thirstiness, annoyance in the mouth
and nose, faintness, and nausea, skin damage that never goes away, swallowing difficulty, nausea, a skin
ulcer, and soon. In addition, Bingham E et al. (2011) discussed the effects of acetylene in humans,
acetylene is not acutely poisonous below its lower explosive limit of 2.5 percent, thus inhaling 10%
acetylene for 1 hour causes no acute toxicity, whereas inhaling 33 percent or 35 percent induces
unconsciousness in 7 and 5 minutes, respectively.

According to many academic sources, several natural agents, in addition to chemical agents,
produce a lot of ethylene. These are natural resources. These natural substances could be employed to
speed up the ripening of bananas. In a different setting, Yang (2013) have further stated that ethylene,
whether endogenous or exogenous in source, has a variety of effects on fruit growth, development, and
storage life, even at very low concentrations, which can be beneficial or harmful. Above all, it's worth
noting that ethylene frequently boosts its own synthesis in plants, therefore keeping ethylene levels
under control is critical for crop quality. The observable effects of ethylene on fresh fruit are
summarized by Saltveit (2010). Chemical thinning of fruit, helping harvest by inducing fruit drop,
increasing color and flavor development, and faster ripening are some of the positive impacts.

Moreover, ethylene is used to stimulate or accelerate ripening in a variety of crops, including

tomato, apple, cherry, citrus, cucumber, grape, guava, peach, pepper, and pineapple (Abeles et al.
2012). One of the main reasons ethylene is used as a controlled treatment for fruit is to meet consumer
aesthetic standards; for example, in apple, banana, and pepper crops, ethylene is used to achieve the
characteristic ripe color before the fruit flesh has aged excessively, resulting in higher quality produce.