Virgin avocado oil: An emerging source of functional fruit oil

The intake trend of functional oil in the management and prevention of chronic diseases has increased in the last decades. Virgin avocado oil (VAO) contains high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and bioactive components that are potentially beneficial to human health. This review contains a compilation of the extraction methods developed for VAO production and their oil yield. The physicochemical composition of VAO and the pharmacological properties of avocado oil intake are also summarized and highlighted. VAO is composed mostly of MUFA with oleic, palmitic and linoleic acids as the major fatty acid components. The oil also contains high levels of bioactive components, particularly alpha-tocopherol and beta-sitosterol. These properties offer it to be used as functional oil in the management of hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes and fatty liver disease. Moreover, the oil reduces cardiometabolic risk and possess antimicrobial property.