Avocado-derived biomass as a source of bioenergy and bioproducts

Abstract

The avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a tree native to Mexico and Guatemala. Avocado consumption, fresh or in the form of processed products, is growing everywhere and it has caused a large number of countries to invest heavily in avocado production. The industrialization of avocado gives as a result a huge amount of waste, not only the peel and stone but also that waste generated by the pruning practices and oil extraction. These biomasses could be converted into raw materials to obtain different types of co-products, but this implies changes in the use of these resources, the design of efficient production systems, and integration to take full advantage of them, e.g., by developing biorefinery models. Therefore, this review firstly gives a snapshot of those residues generated in the avocado industry and provides their chemical composition. Secondly, this review presents updated information about the valorization ways of avocado-derived biomass to obtain bioenergy, biofuels, and other marketable products (starch, protein, phenolic compounds, and biosorbents, among others) using a single process or integrated processes within a biorefinery context. Green technologies to obtain these products are also covered, e.g., based on the application of microwaves, ultrasound, supercritical fluids, etc. As a conclusion, there is a variety of ways to valorize avocado waste in single processes, but it would be promising to develop biorefinery schemes. This would enable the avocado sector to move towards the zero-waste principle.