PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits, and their production generates significant agricultural waste. Banana pseudostems, a by-product of the banana industry, are being investigated as a renewable and biodegradable alternative to synthetic food packaging materials. However, these pseudostems have the potential to harbor harmful bacteria due to their natural fiber composition. Therefore, this study analyzes the effect of beeswax coating on the microbial communities in banana pseudostems. The microbial community is analyzed through a metagenomics approach that targets the 16S rRNA gene of the Saba banana (Musa × paradisiaca) pseudostem. Two experimental conditions were considered: pseudostem with beeswax coating and pseudostem without beeswax coating. The findings indicate that the microbial communities in all samples are primarily composed of the phyla Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Firmicutes. The dominant species found in uncoated banana pseudostem is Pantoea sp. At-9b, Escherichia coli, Synechococcus sp. JA-3-3-Ab, Pantoea vagans, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The dominant species found in beeswax-coated banana pseudostem is Synechococcus sp. JA-3-3-Ab, Pseudanabaena sp. PCC 7367, Chroococcidiopsis thermalis, Priestia megaterium, and Ammonifex degensii. The Chao1, Shannon, Simpson, and Equitability indices indicate that the species richness, diversity, and evenness in the uncoated banana pseudostem are higher than in the beeswax-coated banana pseudostem. The degree of similarity between bacterial populations found in uncoated banana pseudostem and beeswax-coated banana pseudostem is around 53.9%.

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