Hass avocado: researchers found that the peel has the potential to cure diseases
Discoveries continue to be made regarding the benefits of avocados. The News Agency of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia released the results of research that found bioactives in the skin of the Hass avocado.
This confirms that, in addition to the pulp and seed, the peel contains compounds that are beneficial to health and have high pharmaceutical potential, such as antioxidants and nervous system protectors. While antioxidants slow cell deterioration, neuroprotectors contribute to preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
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This is good news since Colombia produces more than 155,000 tons of Hass avocado per year and the skin of this fruit represents 13% of its weight.
The research, conducted by researchers from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia Palmira, analyzed both the peel and the pit of the avocado and concluded that the former has a higher content of phenolic compounds and has the best antioxidant and neuroprotective capacities.
To do so, they used natural solvents and high pressures (NADES), a novel technique considered sustainable for not using solvents that can be toxic, as is the case of acetone.
So what did they find in the Hass avocado peel?
Oils, carotenoids, and phenols, among other compounds known as bioactives, were found in the Hass avocado peel, or epicarp.
According to the agency of the prestigious university, “bioactive compounds are found in plants, leaves, flowers, fruits and everything that is consumed naturally. They also have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties, which, due to their chemical structures, are preventive”.
Particularly, the elements more related to water proved to have a good inhibition against acetylcholinesterase, one of the enzymes responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
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“In other words, it has protective activities of the nervous system (neuroprotective), which could prevent neurodegenerative diseases. The results have the potential to be used in the development of pharmaceutical, cosmetological and food products,” explained Juan Felipe Grisales Mejía, PhD in Food Science and Technology and member of the Agroindustrial Processes Research Group (GIPA) of the Universidad Nacional, Palmira, to the Agency.
Avocado: a fruit rich in nutrients
According to the government of Mexico, the main producer of this fruit in the world, the avocado has 15 nutrients including calories, carbohydrates, proteins, dietary fiber, Vitamins A, C, and E, Folates, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium and Sodium, as well as monounsaturated fat.
Among the benefits of avocado are that it improves digestion; nourishes the skin, nails, and hair due to its high content of vitamins C and E; reduces bad cholesterol levels in the blood and increases good cholesterol levels; contributes to level blood pressure as it is rich in potassium; regulates blood sugar and helps prevent insulin resistance.
2022: a tough year for Hass avocados
The Corporation of Hass Avocado Producers and Exporters of Colombia, Corpohass, announced that the winter wave has generated a decrease of between 30% and 50% in Hass avocado production in the country. The rains affect the fruit, leaves and can even damage the roots by rotting.
To the winter have been added factors such as the increase in interest rates by the Banco de la República, the increase in the price of agricultural inputs, and the devaluation of the Colombian peso against the dollar, said Corpohass.
As a result, exports of the fruit were reduced by 7.6% in 2022, compared to 2021. “In 2021, Hass avocado surpassed the US$200 million barrier in exports, with 97,000 tons being shipped abroad. However, in 2022, it was down 7.6%”, the guild stated.
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