INFLUENCE OF FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH BANANAS ON NUTRITIONAL CONTENT DURING STORAGE

Botryodiplodia theobromae, Rhizopus oryzae, Aspergillus niger, A. flav us and Fusarium equiseti were found to be associated with the ripening of bananas and also caused rot during storage. Bananas stored in bask ets with ash fire wood ripened 2-3 days earlier than bananas stored in fibre sacks and under constant light. The infected bananas showed a d ecrease in the quantity of total soluble sugars, protein, lipid, crude fibre, ash, ascorbic acid and mineral elements when compared with the control fruit. Paper chromatographic studies showed the presence of g lucose, sucrose, fructose, maltose and raffinose in healthy control fr uit, while only sucrose appeared during storage in bananas infected wi th B. theobromae. The total soluble sugar and crude protein contents i ncreased during ripening.