Fenny Martha Dwivany
Indonesia is one of the world banana exporting countries. But the ability of Indonesian banana exports is still inferior to other Asian countries. The process of safeguarding the quality of bananas from planting to distribution to consumers is very important in the production process of bananas. Short banana fruit period after harvest is an obstacle for every banana manufacturer. Nanotechnology opens alternative solutions for this problem. The use of nanomaterials with the principle of edible coating using polysaccharides can extend the fruits. The potential of Edible Coatings originating from the Indonesian Sea Ocean Source is very large. Euchema cottonii seaweed which is very abundant in Indonesian waters, has a polysaccharide in the form of carrageenant and can be used as an edible coating source. This study aims to apply the intention of nanoparticle seaweed extract to bananas and see its physical, biological and molecular influence (banana maturation gene Maacs1 and Maaco1). The method to be carried out is the extraction of seaweed, nanoparticle synthesis of seaweed extract, nanoparticle size analysis of seaweed extract, evaluation of nanoparticle sinting seaweed extract against fruit maturation through physical observation and fruit biology, as well as from the molecular side by analyzing gene expression related to fruit maturation with QPCR method. The existence of atmospheric modifications to reduce O2 levels during the respiratory process is expected to slow down the process of banana fruit. Similar research has never been previously reported so that it is expected to contribute to the development of nano technology for applications in the field of agro-industry.