Hass avocado oil extraction: In the way of malaxation process optimization

Abstract

Hass avocado (Persea americana Mill. var. Hass) oil is a product of interest due to its functional properties and human health benefits. Physiological (P), consumption (C), and overripe (OR) stages of maturity were analyzed to establish the postharvest time to oil extraction. The OR has 19.2 ± 1.2/100 g oil content, with a hardness of 17.6 ± 0.6 N. A 33−1 fractional experimental design was proposed to analyze the optimal conditions of the malaxation process as a pretreatment for oil extraction. From the response surface analysis, a statistical model was reported to predict the oil extraction efficiency, and the time and temperature variables showed an optimal point. The highest extraction efficiency under the conditions evaluated was 48.9 °C temperature, agitation speed 49.7 rpm, and time 92.6 min, which yielded an extraction efficiency of 77.6 ± 0.08 g/100 g. The physicochemical characterization of the oil indicated an acid value of 0.4 ± 0.7 g/100 g, peroxide index of 18.5 ± 0.7 mEqO2/kg, and iodine index of 76.7 ± 1.0 g I2/100 g with a relative density of 0.915 g/ml which showed that the optimized malaxation process conditions did not affect the final Hass avocado oil quality.