Oleosome oil storage in the mesocarp of two avocado varieties

Abstract

Studies on avocado oil have focused on the most common commercial cultivars, Hass, Fuerte, and Bacon, rather than the less common varieties, P. americana var. drymifolia and P. americana var. americana, even though the drymifolia variety has a higher oil content and the americana variety is the most common avocado grown in the tropics. The most abundant storage structures for plant oils are the oleosomes, and the aim of this study was to determine the oleosome size, oil yield, and fatty acid composition of the americana and drymifolia varieties, using the Hass cultivar as a reference. Differences were found between the three avocado types for 1) oil yield, with drymifolia having higher and americana lower oil content (p < 0.05%), 2) oleosome size, with Hass having a larger (41.53 µm) and americana a smaller (11.96 µm) size, and 3) fatty acid composition, with the americana and drymifolia varieties showing less monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic) and more polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic) and saturated fatty acids (palmitic); while Hass had a high level (60%) of monounsaturated fatty acids. Small but significant differences were also found between oleosome and mesocarp oils isolated from the drymifolia and Hass types.