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Fatty Acid Profile, Total Carotenoids, and Free Radical-Scavenging from the Lipophilic Fractions of 12 Native Mexican Avocado Accessions

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Abstract

Mexico is the world’s largest producer, exporter, and consumer of avocados. “Hass” avocado is the most commercialized cultivar, while the native Mexican avocado varieties have been displaced. Thus, studies regarding their chemical and nutraceutical characterization are scarce. We studied the total lipid content, fatty acid profile, carotenoid content, and free radical-scavenging activity of the fruit pulp from 12 accessions of the native Mexican avocado (Persea americana var. drymifolia). The results show that the chemical and nutraceutical characteristics depend on the accession type. The total lipid content ranged from 13.22 to 23.41%. The major saturated fatty acid in all the avocado accessions was palmitic acid (15.54–22.68%). Monounsaturated fatty acids, like oleic (56.58–74.19%), linoleic (5.62–16.85%) and linolenic (0.63–2.85%) acids were the most abundant unsaturated fatty acids in all the native Mexican avocado accessions. The total carotenoid content (1.57 to 7.83 mg eq. of β-carotene 100 g-1 fresh weight) and the free radical-scavenging activity (7.58–88.62 mMol trolox equivalent 100 g−1 fresh weight) also varied significantly (p < 0.05) among accessions. Native Mexican avocados have a great nutraceutical potential due to their high content of omega-9, omega-6, and omega-3 fatty acids and carotenoids. These compounds have been reported to display antioxidant activities and protect against cardiovascular diseases.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to CONACYT for providing scholarship 429348 to Méndez-Zúñiga. Also to Cátedras-CONACYT for project 397 (Dr Erick P. Gutiérrez-Grijalva).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias Agroalimentarias de la Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Departamento de Ingeniería Agroindustrial, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Km 38.5 Carretera Federal México-Texcoco, C.P, 56230, Chapingo, Mexico

    Sergio M. Méndez-Zúñiga & Joel E. Corrales-García

  2. CONACYT-Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A. C., Carretera a El Dorado Km 5.5, Col. Campo el Diez, C.P. 80110, Culiacán, Mexico

    Erick P. Gutiérrez-Grijalva, Verónica Pérez-Rubio & José Basilio Heredia

  3. Posgrado en Horticultura, Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Km 38.5 Carretera Federal México Texcoco, C.P, 56230, Chapingo, Mexico

    Rosario García-Mateos

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  1. Sergio M. Méndez-Zúñiga
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Correspondence to José Basilio Heredia.

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Méndez-Zúñiga, S.M., Corrales-García, J.E., Gutiérrez-Grijalva, E.P. et al. Fatty Acid Profile, Total Carotenoids, and Free Radical-Scavenging from the Lipophilic Fractions of 12 Native Mexican Avocado Accessions. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 74, 501–507 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-019-00766-2

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