Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) Oil

Abstract

Avocado oil is growing in popularity as a source of specialty oil with health-promoting properties. Unlike typical fruit oils, avocado oil is extracted from the pulp instead of the seed and can be consumed in its crude form without the necessity of refining. The oil can be graded into extra virgin, virgin or pure, depending on the extraction methods and conditions. Over the last decades, several methods have been developed on avocado oil extraction and these methods are summarized and discussed. The intake of avocado oil is recommended in order to gain the full benefit of essential nutrients and health-promoting minor bioactive lipids that they contain, along with their desirable aroma and taste. Lately, much interest in the health benefits of avocado oil has led to numerous animal and human intervention studies. The therapeutic effects and other issues associated with avocado oil such as oxidative stability, authenticity and toxicity, are also compiled and highlighted.