Extraction of pectin from banana peels and utilization in a bioactive coating for postharvest banana preservation

Bananas are produced globally at an annual volume exceeding 130 million tons. The peel, comprising approximately one-third of the fruit weight, is predominantly discarded as waste in the food industry. Notably, banana peels are a rich source of valuable bioactive compounds such as pectin, which may be recovered and utilized in the food, packaging and pharmaceutical sectors. As a climacteric fruit, bananas are highly susceptible to rapid postharvest deterioration, making the development of active edible coatings a promising technique for maintaining quality during storage. The present study demonstrates the valorization of banana peel waste through the extraction of pectin and its subsequent use as a bio-based coating material for banana preservation. Pectin was extracted under optimized conditions (80 ℃, pH 4.5), achieving a yield of 13.06% extraction yield, with compositional characteristics including 39.23% galacturonic acid content, 70.70% degree of esterification, 11.50% methoxyl content and equivalent weight of 2708.95 g/mol. The quality and ripening progression of coated bananas were monitored at three different storage temperatures (15, 20, and 25 ℃). Bananas stored at 15 ℃ exhibited the slowest browning among all treatments. The temperature dependence of color deterioration rate was adequately modelled by the Arrhenius equation and activation energy ranged from 71.91 to 95.30 $$\:\frac{kJ}{mol\:}$$ for the different treatments tested. Pectin based coatings supplemented with 1% ascorbic acid significantly enhanced color retention and reduced polyphenoloxidase activity compared to uncoated controls. This study introduces a novel approach to banana preservation by valorizing pectin extracted from banana peel waste as a functional bio-based material for active edible coatings. The findings contribute to sustainable waste valorization strategies coupled with improved postharvest fruit preservation.