Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 15, 2025
Author Spotlight: Eco-Friendly Extraction of Bioactive Compounds Using Polyol-Based Microwave-Assisted Techniques
Published on: August 23, 2024
Functional ingredient from avocado peel: Microwave-assisted extraction, characterization and potential applications
Jorge G Figueroa1, Isabel Borrás-Linares2, Raquel Del Pino-García2
1Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, Granada 18071, Spain; Research and Development of Functional Food Centre (CIDAF), Health Science Technological Park Avda. del Conocimiento s/n, BioRegion Building, Granada 18016, Spain; Departamento de Química y Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto s/n, Loja 11-01-608, Ecuador.
Abstract:
Avocado peel is a by-product obtained in high amounts in the food industry with no further applications despite its richness in bioactive compounds. In this context, an efficient "green" microwave assisted extraction (MAE) was optimized to maximize the extraction of bioactive polyphenols. Moreover, the phenolic composition of the developed green avocado extract was characterized by HPLC coupled to MS analysers and the potential applications for the food industry were studied assaying different bioactivities. Thus, the matrix metalloproteinases inhibition, the antioxidant capacity and the antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeast and mold were tested. The results pointed out both, high matrix metalloproteinases inhibitory capacity and antioxidant activity of avocado peel MAE extract. These findings suggest the potential food industry applications of this extract as natural food preservative, functional food ingredient or nutraceuticals with antioxidant and anti-aging activities.
