Researchers from the Tecnológico de Monterrey, in Mexico, have found that avocado stone could help reduce the risk of suffering cardiovascular diseases or cancer related to the consumption of preservatives.
The group, led by researcher Carmen Hernández Brenes, found molecules called acetogenins which can be used as medicines and food preservatives.
The private educational institution pointed out on its website that the consumption of avocados in Mexico is, on average, 11.6 kilograms per person per year.
Hernández Brenes explained that avocados are an ingredient that can be used in foods or supplements as a natural alternative for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
While avosafe is a more effective and safer natural conservative, acetogenins have an anticoagulant effect that prevents blockages from forming in the bloodstream, reducing the risk of suffering embolisms and heart attacks.
This effect, she said, is similar to that of medicines such as aspirin, but given that it is a natural treatment, it should not have any side effects.
"It can be used with products that are ready to be consumed, such as a chicken salad in places where there is a warm climate and you have to make sure that people are not going to get sick," she said.
The researcher said that the work has already been protected with patents, but there are protocols for products to be approved by national and international health agencies.
For her part, Dariana Rodríguez, a member of the research team, said that although Avocardio does not completely eliminate cardiovascular diseases, it can be used preventively.
"The product can be consumed especially by people who have a high risk of heart attack or stroke or people who have suffered one and need a lifelong treatment," she said.
Acetogenins can also be used as a natural preservative, replacing those containing nitrite, which have been related to the development of cancer.
She mentioned that these molecules have a broad spectrum of use, so they are not limited to meat, like other preservatives, but can be used in cheese or ready-to-eat foods.
The project was launched more than 10 years ago as a result of the collaboration between a company that uses avocado pulp to make guacamole for commercial purposes and the Tecnológico de Monterrey.
The company used to discard the waste generated, so it approached the Biotechnology Center of the Tec de Monterrey, which in turn started to investigate if there could be any use for that waste.
Initially, the idea was to help solve an environmental problem derived from the generation of avocado waste. Fortunately, when analyzing the content of the stone, they realized that they could actually use it.
She said that this was the time when they discovered the presence of acetogenins and began their work, which is currently in the testing phase, so they could soon be consumed by humans.
In the first stage, she said, the molecules will be added to various foods, but could be synthesized as a pill in the future. The molecules are safe for human consumption; however, it is estimated that an investigation will still be carried out for approximately two years.
She argued that "the advantage is that we are already consuming the molecules; they are in the stone, but also in the pulp, so in some way, humans have already had some exposure to them."
The experts pointed out that the study used Hass avocados, the variety with which Mexico has established itself as the world's leading producer.
