Comparative Analysis of Bioactive Compounds in Colombian Caribbean Avocados and Hass: Exploring Metabolomic Diversity

Abstract

Colombian Caribbean avocados (CCA) represent a newly identified genetic group with underexplored bioactive potential. This study compares three CCA landraces─Leche (L), Cebo (C), and Manteco (M)─from northern Colombia to the Hass variety. Comprehensive analyses were conducted on the mesocarp lipid fraction to evaluate oil content (OC), fatty acids (FA) (GC-FID), carotenoids (HPLC-DAD), and untargeted metabolites (UPLC-ESI+/Orbitrap-MS) in defatted tissue. Although Hass had higher fat content, FA profiles were similar. CCA showed significantly greater carotenoid levels, especially β-cryptoxanthin, trans-β-apo-8′-apocarotenal, and epoxy-β-carotene. PLS-DA modeling revealed key discriminant compounds, including acetogenins─avocadyne, avocadoes, AcO-avocadenyne, and AcO-avocadiene B─in CCA, while persin appeared only in Hass. These findings underscore the chemical uniqueness and potential of CCA for food and industrial applications.