Fruit firmness in ethylenetreated fruit declined rapidly from the initial value of 14.8 to
4.2 N on day 5 of ripening (Fig. 3A). Cold shock treatment prior to
ethylene exposure delayed these ripening-related changes in association with higher firmness and chlorophyll content (Fig. 3A and
B), and thereby prolonged fruit shelf-life. In addition, the delay in
ripening was manifest in reduced respiration (Fig. 3C) and ethylene production (Fig. 3D) rates. It is, therefore, suggested that
cold shock treatment decreased the sensitivity of banana fruit to
ethyl