Avocado

Scientific Name(s): Laurus persea L., Persea americana Mill., Persea gratissima Gaertn
Common Name(s): Ahuacate, Alligator pear, Avocado, Avocado soybean unsaponifiable (ASU), Avocato

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Sep 21, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

All plant parts of P. americana have been investigated for therapeutic applications. Consumption of avocado fruit is loosely associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, but studies are lacking. Antimicrobial, chemoprotective, and dermatological properties have been described. Clinical studies have focused on the combination of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables in osteoarthritis, with equivocal findings.

Dosing

ASU fraction has been studied for osteoarthritis of the knee at 300 to 600 mg daily dosage.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not yet been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Avocado fruit is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) when used as food. Avoid extracts from other plant parts and dosages above those found in food, because safety and efficacy are unproven.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

An allergen cross-sensitivity to natural rubber latex and some plant-derived foods (eg, avocado, melons, peaches) may exist.

Toxicology

Reports of toxicity are rare, although poisoning in grazing animals that have ingested avocado leaves has been reported.

Scientific Family

• Lauraceae

Botany

The avocado grows as a tree to heights of 15 to 18 m. It bears a large, oval, or spherical fleshy fruit, the skin of which can be thick and woody. Although the plant is native to Mexico and Central America, numerous varieties are now widely distributed throughout the world.1

History

The avocado has been widely used in the past, not only for food, but also for medicinal purposes. The pulp has been used as a pomade to stimulate hair growth and to hasten the healing of wounds. The fruit has been purported to be an aphrodisiac and emmenagogue, and American Indians have used the seeds to treat dysentery and diarrhea. Today, the fruit is eaten widely throughout the world, and the oil is a component of numerous cosmetic formulations.1

Chemistry

The pulp of the avocado fruit contains fiber, sugars, minerals, vitamins, and other phytochemicals and lipids. The fruit is thought to provide large amounts of potassium and magnesium, with a similar nutrient profile to tree nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, and pistachios. Avocado oil is derived from the fruit pulp and is primarily composed of glycerides of oleic acid and approximately 10% unsaponifiable (ie, cannot be hydrolyzed) compounds, such as sterols and volatile acids. Oleic acid is a beneficial monounsaturated fatty acid; its concentration ranges from 61% to 95% in an avocado. The vitamin D content of the oil exceeds that of butter and eggs.

The large seed contains fatty acids, alcohols, and a number of unsaturated compounds with exceedingly bitter tastes; it is the subject of a number of investigational studies. The leaves of the Mexican avocado have been reported to contain approximately 3% of an essential oil primarily composed of estragole and anethole.1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Uses and Pharmacology

Antimicrobial

Animal data

Several of the unsaturated oxygenated aliphatic compounds in the fruit pulp and seed have been shown to possess stron...