Mechanism of the Abnormal Softening of Banana Pulp Induced by High Temperature and High Humidity During Postharvest Storage

During transportation and storage after harvest, bananas exhibit an abnormal phenomenon called “green-soft,” where the pulp softens prematurely while the peel remains green and hard. To understand the mechanism of abnormal softening of banana pulp, the influence of high temperature (35 °C) and high humidity (saturated humidity) on the intrinsic physiology of the pulp was investigated from the aspects of ROS metabolism, membrane lipid peroxidation, and starch metabolism. The results showed that hardness of the bananas stored in high humidity and high temperature decreased by 77% at 14 days compared to control, suggesting that the combined treatment of high temperature and high humidity caused the formation of the banana “green-soft” phenomenon. Further analysis showed that ROS content was significantly increased (33%), membrane lipid peroxidation was intensified (460%), starch content was significantly reduced (68%), and cellular integrity was disrupted during this process. This work clarifies the potential mechanisms of abnormally softened banana pulp and provides a detailed theoretical foundation for the study of “green-soft” banana.