Chitosan oligosaccharides treatment preserves quality, increases disease resistance, and extends the shelf life of bananas during storage

Different concentrations of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) (T 0 : Control, T 1 : 50 mg/L, T 2 : 100 mg/L, T 3 : 250 mg/L, T 4 : 500 mg/L, and T 5 : 1000 mg/L COS) were used to investigate the effects of this compound on the postharvest quality and shelf life of two banana cultivars, namely Amritasagar (C 1 ) and Sabri (C 2 ). The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with three replications. Results revealed that between two cultivars, Sabri exhibited superior performance compared with Amritasagar during the entire storage period. Among the treatments, T 2 (COS @ 100 mg/L) was more effective compared with the other treatments in respect of both cultivars. The highest shelf life (12.0 days), fruit firmness (1.1N), and total phenol (67.57 mg/100 g FW) and flavonoid (47.60 mg/100 g FW) contents were noted in the Sabri cultivar when treated with T 2 (COS @ 100 mg/L) treatment. At the same time, the lowest weight loss (10.1%), pathogen infection, and over all disease percentage was recorded from the same treatment combination. These findings suggest that COS @ 100 mg/L exhibited great potential for preserving quality, increasing disease resistance, and extending the shelf life of bananas during storage.