Variation in the fatty acid profile and quality of ‘Hass’ avocados preserved during cold storage

‘Hass’ avocado has been described as a dominant Guatemalan cultivar weighing 90 to 400 g.
Avocado is a semi-tropical fruit and is a source of lipophilic phytochemicals and monounsaturated, carotenoid, vitamin E, sterols and fatty acids.
Due to its high metabolic rate, it generally ripens 5 to 7 days after harvest.
Significant areas of avocado are cultivated in Colombia, with production that has increased by 40% with a production of approximately 220,000 t of different cultivars.
Colombia has between 20,000 and 22,000 cultivated ha, of which, 9,000 are cultivated with ‘Hass’, which require significantly better technology to decrease losses and lead to marketability.
The program RIFRUTBIO, supported by COLCIENCIAS, was created based on these conditions, and aims to increase direct consumption and make full use of this fruit though oil extraction for the natural ingredients market.
This study aimed to determine the variations of the lipid profile and other quality traits of commercial ‘Hass’ avocados during postharvest storage.
The fatty acids that predominated in the avocado fatty acid profile included oleic, palmitic, linoleic, palmitoleic and linolenic acids.
The oleic and linoleic acids constituted more than 80% of the fatty acids.
Avocado quality was reduced particularly above 1 or 2 weeks of storage because of softening, weight losses, and the decrease of oleic acid content, and chroma and hue angle pulp color indices that can be associated with development of chilling injury and/or atmosphere within the bags.

VIII International Postharvest Symposium: Enhancing Supply Chain and Consumer Benefits – Ethical and Technological Issues

R. Salcedo, Y. Quiñones, L.M. Melgarejo, M.S. Hernández, J.P. Fernández-Trujillo

Persea americana, lipid, tropical fruits, fruit quality, nutrient compounds

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1194.143