The combined effects of phenylurea and gibberellins on quality maintenance and shelf life extension of banana fruit during storage

• The most effective treatment with 10 mg L−1 CPPU and 50 mg L−1 GA3 was obtained.
• The combined application of CPPU and GA3 delayed postharvest ripening of banana fruit.
• The combined treatment inhibited respiration and ethylene production rates.
• The combined application of CPPU and GA3 delayed the decreases in contents of ascorbic acid and total phenolics.

The combined effects of phenylurea (CPPU) and gibberellins (GA3) on quality maintenance and shelf life extension of harvested banana fruit were investigated. Banana fruit were treated with 10 mg L−1 CPPU in combination with GA3 at 25, 50 or 100 mg L−1 and then stored under ambient conditions (23 ± 2 °C and 75–90% relative humidity). The results exhibited that the combined treatments of CPPU and GA3 significantly suppressed fruit softening in association with the delayed peaks of respiration and ethylene production rates and retarded decreases of hue value and the maximal chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) of banana fruit during storage. Furthermore, the accumulation of soluble reducing sugars and losses in contents of ascorbic acid and total phenols were delayed. The most beneficial effect of quality maintenance and shelf life extension of postharvest banana fruit was obtained by application of 10 mg L−1 CPPU and 50 mg L−1 GA3. These results clearly indicated that the combined treatment of CPPU and GA3 could contribute to ripening inhibition, shelf life extension and quality maintenance of banana fruit during storage.