Melatonin as a Ripening Inhibitor: Enhancing Shelf Life and Quality in Red Banana

ABSTRACT In climacteric fruits like banana ( Musa spp.), ripening is driven by ethylene production and increased respiration, leading to rapid softening, quality loss, and disease susceptibility. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of postharvest melatonin dip (1.0 mM and 1.5 mM for 15 min) on Red Banana stored under ambient and cold storage conditions. Melatonin significantly suppressed ethylene biosynthesis (Cohen's d ƞ 2 = 0.85), reduced respiration rate ( ƞ 2 = 0.89), and delayed textural degradation by inhibiting cell wall‐degrading enzymes (polygalacturonase, pectin methyl esterase, amylase, cellulase, and β‐glucosidase) with 35.94% and 45.48% reduction in cumulative enzyme activity under ambient and cold storage, respectively. It also enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity resulting in 1.8‐ and 1.5‐fold increases in enzyme activity in ambient and cold storage, respectively, mitigating oxidative stress and reducing anthracnose incidence. Consequently, melatonin extended shelf life by 2.67 days in ambient storage and 5.33 days in cold storage, without inducing chilling injury. These findings highlight melatonin as a natural, eco‐friendly alternative, offering a sustainable strategy to enhance Red Banana storage and reduce postharvest losses. Its ability to modulate fruit metabolism, enhance stress responses, and membrane protection properties underscores its applied potential in postharvest management.