Asian Journal of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

The use of artificial ripening agents in fruit handling has raised growing concerns due to potential health implications and nutrient degradation. Since musa acuminata (banana) is a climacteric fruit, it is usually harvested at pre-climacteric stage and for commercial purposes, artificially ripened. This study investigated the effect of calcium carbide (CaC₂) and African bush mango on the ripening time, nutritional and phytochemical contents of Musa acuminata. The experiment was designed into 4 groups (A, B, C and D), made up of eight (8) banana fingers of approximately the same size. The banana samples were kept in clean polyethylene bags and treated with different ripening agents to induce the ripening process. Group A was allowed to ripen naturally (NRB), group B was treated with African bush mango (ABM) and groups C and D were treated with 5g and 15g of calcium carbide respectively. Results of the study for proximate analysis showed that NRB contained the highest crude protein (0.83 ± 0.02%), ash (0.60 ± 0.01%), and carbohydrate (18.98 ± 0.01%) levels, while moisture content was lowest (78.69 ± 0.01%). In contrast, 15 g CaC₂ treated bananas had the highest moisture (85.86 ± 0.73%) and lowest protein (0.30 ± 0.02%). ABM-ripened bananas showed moderate moisture (84.07 ± 0.08%) and protein (0.73 ± 0.00%) content, indicating less degradation than with CaC₂ for the Phytochemical analysis, NRB had the highest concentrations of tannins (85.90 ± 0.14 µg/mg), flavonoids (152.50 ± 0.14 µg/mg), alkaloids (1.60 ± 0.14 µg/mg), and saponins (1.85 ± 0.07 µg/mg), while 15 g CaC₂ treatment resulted in the lowest levels of these compounds. Vitamin analysis showed a marked decline in CaC₂ treated bananas, with vitamin C dropping from 15.30 ± 0.42 mg/100g in NRB to 12.10 ± 0.14 mg/100g in 15 g CaC₂ treated samples. ABM samples retained moderate levels (14.80 ± 0.00 mg/100g), suggesting better nutrient preservation. Mineral assessment revealed NRB had the highest phosphorus (19.00 ± 0.28 mg/100g) and magnesium (9.40 ± 0.07 mg/100g), whereas calcium peaked in 15 g CaC₂ treated samples (17.67 ± 0.47 mg/100g), potentially due to residue accumulation. These results indicate that artificial ripening using calcium carbide significantly compromises the nutritional quality of bananas. African bush mango, however, offers a more biologically compatible alternative, retaining better nutritional and phytochemical integrity.