Fruit production and oil quality of avocado cultivars in a high-altitude subtropical region

ABSTRACT Olive oil has excellent chemical and nutraceutical properties. In the tropics, there are not climatic conditions for the large-scale production of oil. An alternative option is the production of avocado oil, which has properties similar to those of olive oil. The ‘Hass’ and ‘Fuerte’ avocado are the most used for oil extraction. As the climate affects the chemical characteristics of the fruit, it is possible that other cultivars may also produce quality oil. This study aimed to evaluate the productive performance and oil quality of different avocado cultivars in a high-altitude subtropical region. In two cycles, the productive performances of the cultivars ‘Breda’, ‘Fortuna’, ‘Margarida’, and ‘Quintal’, at 5 and 6 years old, were evaluated. In the second production cycle, the longitudinal and transverse diameters of the fruits and the percentage of pulp, peel, and core in relation to the total mass of the fruits, in addition to the percentage of moisture in the pulp, dry mass, and oil (total lipids), were determined. The acidity level, peroxide index, specific extinction in the ultraviolet spectrum, and the composition of fatty acids were determined from the oil extracted. The cultivars showed good productive performance in the high-altitude subtropical region. ‘Fortuna’ and ‘Margarida’ were the most productive ones. The ‘Breda’, ‘Fortuna’, and ‘Quintal’ avocado oils had the highest proportions of oleic acid, and the ‘Margarida’ oil had a higher proportion of palmitic linoleic acid. The percentages of oleic acid in the oils of the four cultivars studied, originating from a high-altitude subtropical region, were high.