Comparative effects of gibberellic acid, salicylic acid and Bacillus subtilis on oxidative stress marker and antioxidant potential of Musa sapientum Linn

Banana (Musa sapientum) as a major fruit is widely cultivated for its nutritional and therapeutic properties. Thus, to avoid wastage, there is a need to increase its shelf life. In this study, banana fruits were dipped into the solutions of salicylic acid (SA), gibberellic acid (GA3), Bacillus subtilis (BS) and BS with SA or GA3, respectively, and control in distilled water. The SA, GA3 and BS effects on postharvest treatment of banana was investigated at 0, 3 and 6 day. This study compared the effects of GA3, SA or BS and their combined treatment on antioxidant properties of banana. The results showed that the use of GA3, SA and BS individually or in combination significantly (p ≤.05) increased the antioxidant properties of the fruits. Decreased titratable acidity and weight loss in the treated groups show the effectiveness of postharvest treatments. Therefore, the results of (GA3 and BS) combined effect is a promising postharvest treatment for banana fruits.