I don’t think it’s physical pressure. Is it bacteria? Some kind of living organism that lives on the peel? How and why do these spots form in the first place?
In: Biology
Bananas are living organs as any other fruit, and as such they have an active metabolism. Browning in bananas is due to enzymatic activity, specifically by Polyphenoloxidases (PPOs). When bananas ripen or become exposed to a mechanical or temperature stress, some of their cells lose it’s integrity and the chemical compounds inside them get mixed and react, polyphenols and oxygen react and PPOs act as the catalyst, this reaction forms quinones which in turn form polymers known as melanin which are the direct responsibles of the dark coloring; this happens in the pulp and the peel to a different extent.
It definetly has something to do with how ripe the banana is. Also, I hear banana peel are just like other fruits and vegetable when it comes to how much light they reflect and chlorophyll has something to do with it too. That’s what I remember from Bio 101.
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