Effect of freeze-drying and production process on the chemical composition and fatty acids profile of avocado pulp

• Published in: Revista chilena de nutrición 2014-12, Vol.41 (4), p.404-411
• Main Authors: Castañeda-Saucedo, Ma Claudia, Valdés-Miramontes, Elia Herminia, Tapia-Campos, Ernesto, Delgado-Alvarado, Adriana, Bernardino-García, Ana Cecilia, Rodríguez-Ramírez, María Rosario, Ramirez-Anaya, Jessica del Pilar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: NUTRITION & DIETETICS
• ISSN: 0717-7518; 0717-7518
• DOI: 10.4067/S0717-75182014000400009

Freeze-drying technology is the best dehydration process to preserve shelf-life and allowing avocado to maintain its sensorial and nutritional characteristics. The aim of this work was to determine if the freeze-drying and production condition have an effect on the nutritional quality of the avocado pulp grown in rain-fed and irrigation orchards. Four treatments were applied: non-freeze-dried rain-fed fruits, non-freeze-dried irrigation fruits, freeze-dried rain-fed fruits and freeze-dried irrigation fruits. Results showed that the fruit is made up of 71.4%, 16%, and 12.6% pulp, seed and skin, respectively. The pulp is made up of 71.51%, 19.96%, 2.81%, 0.51% and 1.51% water, lipids, ashes, crude fiber and protein, respectively. Avocado oil is composed by 61%, 18.8%, 11.6% and 7% oleic, palmitic, linoleic, and palmitoleic fatty acids, respectively. The freeze-drying decreased the linoleic acid by 1.43 g/100g. Under rain-fed conditions 4% and 13% less total fat and oleic fatty acid are produced than in irrigation conditions. We conclude that freeze-dried avocado pulp shows slight changes in their nutritional quality.