Chemical and technological properties of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) seed fibrous residues

- Avocado seeds fibrous residues are interesting by-product for food industry.
- The residues present high proportions of soluble dietary fiber and neutral detergent fiber.
- The fibrous residues retain four times their weight in water and six times their weight in oil.
- Avocado seed fibrous residues properties make them promising technological ingredients.

In industrial processing of the avocado (Persea americana Mill.) fruit only the pulp is used, resulting in thousands of tons of seeds as a waste by-product. Chemical and technological characterizations were done on fiber residues produced with one of two fiber extraction methods: Method A, using NaHSO3; and Method B, using NaHSO3, NaCl and tris-hydroxymethyl-aminomethane. Proximate composition, total, soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, acid and neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose were determined. Also, technological properties were evaluated on fiber residues. The main results were: yield did not differ (p > 0.05) between methods (A: 45.63%; B: 48.11%), but they did differ (p < 0.05) in ash, moisture and nitrogen-free extract. The residues' relatively high proportions of soluble dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose allowed them to retain four times their weight in water and six times their weight in oil. The properties of avocado seed fibrous residues make them promising technological ingredients in industrial food systems.