Abstract
The tocopherol contents of unripe and ripe avocado fruit oil extracted from Pinkerton, Hass and Fuerte varieties were determined after drying fruit using air, microwave or oven drying methods. The α-tocopherol content changed between 13.70 mg/100 g (microwave-dried) and 28.06 mg/100 g (air-dried) in oil from unripe Pinkerton fruit; between 14.86 mg/100 g (microwave-dried) and 88.12 mg/100 g (fresh) in oil from unripe Hass fruit and between 13.31 mg/100 g (microwave-dried) and 17.35 mg/100 g (oven-dried) in oil from unripe Fuerte fruit. The α-tocopherol contents in oil from ripe Fuerte fruit changed between 13.21 mg/100 g (fresh) and 17.61 mg/100 g (oven-dried). In addition, γ-tocopherol contents varied between 11.55 mg/100 g (air-dried) and 14.61 mg/100 g (microwave-dried) unripe "Pinkerton" fruit; between 11.52 mg/100 g (air-dried) and 15.01 mg/100 g (fresh) in unripe Hass fruit and between 12.17 mg/100 g (air-dried) and 15.27 mg/100 g (microwave-dried) unripe Fuerte fruit. The γ-tocopherol contents ranged from 12.71 mg/100 g (fresh) to 17.40 mg/100 g (oven-dried) in ripe Hass fruit; from 10.29 mg/100 g (fresh) and 17.20 mg/100 g (microwave-dried) ripe Fuerte fruit. α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherols could not be detected in ripe fresh Pinkerton fruit. In general, β- and δ-tocopherol could not be detected in most of the unripe and ripe avocado fruit oils. α-Tocopherol and γ-tocopherol contents of dried ripe Fuerte fruit oils were found to be higher compared to those of dried unripe Fuerte fruits.