Corn husk and potassium permanganate for extending banana shelf life

Bananas are widely recognized for their high nutritional value and health benefits, although their postharvest shelf life is limited due to the action of ethylene, a gas that accelerates fruit ripening. This rapid maturation contributes to postharvest losses and reduces marketability, creating the need for more effective preservation techniques.

The study evaluates the potential of a novel ethylene scavenger produced from alkali-treated corn husk embedded with potassium permanganate (KMnO4), focusing on its ability to preserve the physicochemical properties of bananas during storage.

For the experiment, banana fruits were stored at room temperature (25 °C) in four cardboard boxes. Three boxes contained small paper bags with treated corn husk and KMnO4 at concentrations of 0.2 %, 0.3 %, and 0.5 % per kilogram of fruit, while the fourth box was maintained as an untreated control group.

Throughout storage, the ripening process and several quality parameters were monitored, including fruit weight loss, firmness, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, pH, and vitamin C content.

The results showed that the treatment containing corn husk and KMnO4 at 0.5 % per kilogram of bananas achieved the best preservation performance. This treatment recorded the highest firmness values (22.5 ± 0.08), titratable acidity (0.17 ± 0.09), vitamin C content (6.20 ± 0.05), and pH (5.8 ± 0.09), while significantly extending shelf life to 18 days.

In comparison, the control group showed the highest total soluble solids and ascorbic acid values but deteriorated by the ninth day of storage. The findings indicate that corn husk embedded with KMnO4 at 0.5 % per kilogram of fruit is more effective in extending banana shelf life and may serve as an alternative to the direct use of chemical preservatives.

Source

Onawumi, O. O. E., Tititlayo, O. O., & Odewale, T. E. (2026). Physicochemical Quality Retention and Shelf Life Extension of Banana Using Modified Corn Husk-Supported Potassium Permangate. HAL Science.