Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

AVOCADO

Source: Persea americana Mill. (syn. P.
gratissima Gaertn.; Laurus persea L.)
(Family Lauraceae).

Common/vernacular names:Ahuacate, alli-
gator pear, and avocado.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Large evergreen tree up to about 20 m high;
fruit large (5–20 cm long) and fleshy, pyri-
form, ovate, or spherical, with a thin to thick
sometimes woody skin; native to tropical
America (Mexico, Central America); widely
cultivated. Parts used are the fruit and seed.
There are several commercial varieties in
the United States, including the Mexican avo-
cado and the West Indian avocado. The Mexi-
can avocado (P. americanavar.drymifolia)is
grown in California, while the larger West
Indian avocado (P. americanavar.america-
na) is produced in Florida.^1 Avocado oil
(a fixed oil) is produced by expressing the
dried pulp of the fruit.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Pulp contains a fatty oil (4–40%, depending
on season, location, climate, etc., but usually
about 16%); campesterol, high amounts ofb-
sitosterol (average 76.4 mg/100 g);2,3 fatty
acids (approximately 60% monounsaturated,
20% saturated, and 20% unsaturated);^4 high
amounts of glutathione (27.7 mg/100 g);^5 ap-
proximately 2% protein; 6–9% carbohydrates
and sugars (glucose, fructose,D-mannoheptu-
lose, a taloheptulose, and an alloheptulose);
two bitter substances (1-acetoxy-2,4-dihy-
droxyheptadeca-16-ene and 1,2,4-trihydroxy-
heptadeca-16-ene); carnitine;6–14 proantho-
cyanidins;^15 persenones A and B;^16 magne-
sium, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin E, folic
acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic
acid, biotin (each in higher quantities than any

of the more frequently consumed raw fruits in

the United States);^4 and others.6–14

The pulp oil (avocado oil) consists mainly

of glycerides of oleic acid; the other major

fatty acids in the oil are palmitic and linoleic

acid. It also contains highly variable amounts

of unsaponifiable matter (1.6–11.3%)7,8con-

sisting ofsterols(b-sitosterol, campesterol,24-

methylenecycloartanol, citrostadienol, etc.),

hydrocarbons, volatile acids (propionic, butyr-

ic, valeric, etc.), amino acids, and vitamin D

(higher than in butter or eggs), among

others.16–18

Seeds contain polyhydric alcohols (vole-

mitol, perseitol, arabinitol, galactitol, myo-

inositol, D-erythro-D-galacto-octitol, glycer-

ol), rare sugars (D-mannoheptulose, etc.);^19

avocatins (avocadene, avocadyne, avocade-

none acetate, avocadynone acetate, avocade-

nofuran, avocadynofuran, avocadienofuran,

isoavocadienofuran, etc.);^20 4,8^00 -biscatechin

(a condensed flavanol);^21 C 17 oxygenated ali-

phatic unsaturated compounds (1,2,4-trihy-

droxyheptadeca-16-ene, etc.),10,11,22some of

which have an unpleasant bitter flavor,10,11

and more common constituents, including

protein and fats.

Steam distillation of Mexican avocado

leaves yielded 3.1% of an essential oil con-

sisting of 95% estragole (seesweet basilfor

toxicity) and 5% anethole.^23 The fruit peel

containsl-epicatechin.^24

PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL

ACTIVITIES

Antioxidant activity was shown from the fruit

pulp against hydroxy radicalsin vitro.^25 A

methanol extract of the pulp was shown to

inhibit thein vitrogeneration of nitric oxide

(NO) in macrophages.^26 Constituents isolated

from the fruit pulp (persenones A and B)

inhibited the production of NO, inducible

nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygen-

ase-2 (COX-2), and superoxide radical gener-

ationin vitro. Hydrogen peroxide generation

in mouse skin was inhibited by persenone

Avocado 59