Effects of citral vapor treatment on quality of banana (Musa acuminata cv. lemak manis)

Abstract

Banana (Musa acuminata cv. Lemak Manis) in Terengganu is facing great losses due to post harvest disease infection. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of citral essential oil on control of banana post harvest disease and to determine the optimum concentration and time length exposure of citral. Bananas were treated with citral essential oil emulsions vapor at concentration 0.004% to 2.5%, stored at ambient temperature (26±2 C) in closed chambers. Effects of citral essential oils on post harvest diseases; pathological properties and physicochemical properties were determined and compared with bananas in control and bananas treated with benomyl. Bananas treated with citral vapor in the concentration range of 0.004% to 2.5% for one hour exposure had significantly reduced the fungal infection on bananas compared to untreated bananas and were as effective as fungicide benomyl. Citral treatments had also significantly reduced banana peel spot. At the same time, citral vapor treatment did not affect physicochemical properties such as hue angle, chroma, weight loss, pH and texture firmness of banana. In this study, bananas treated with 0.004% citral for twelve hours showed the most desirable treatment after comparing with other treatments. This study suggests the potential use of citral to replace benomyl as alternative control on of post harvest banana diseases.