The avocado (Persea americana) is a tree national to Central America and Mexico and commercially valuable and are cultured in humid and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. Persea name has been came from ancient Greek name of an Egyptian tree with sweet fruits originated probably from Perseus.
Avocado trees are moderately self-pollinating and frequently are propagated from end to end grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit.
Avocado is an energetic fruit with high nutritional value and is considered a major tropical fruit, since it is rich in protein and contains fat-soluble vitamins lacking in other fruits, including Vitamins A and B, and median levels of vitamins D and E.
Avocado is cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions in the world for its delicious and highly nutritious fruit. The leaves are 6-30 cm in length and 3.5-19 cm in wide and narrow to broadly elliptical in shape. They are constantly pubescent and reddish when young. When they mature, becoming smooth, leathery and dark green. Its fruit is consumed as food.
It contains different oil levels in the pulp, thus it is widely used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, and for obtaining commercial oils similar to olive oil, because of their similar fatty acid composition.
Avocado has been used for the treatment of scabies, dander and ergotism by Mexican folk and Saint Antonius, respectively, in ethno medicine. It was also used by women in the form of an ointment and also for treating skin eruptions.
The predominant carotenoid in Avocado is Lutein. αcarotene, β-carotene, zeaxanthin, neoxanthin and violaxanthin are the other carotenoids present in small quantities in it. Tocopherols have also been identified in its acetone extracts. It has been reported that these lipophilic carotenoids may have potential anticarcinogenic effects.
Avocado for health benefits
