Effects of Temperature and Extraction Time on Avocado Flesh (Persea americana) Total Phenolic Yields Using Subcritical Water Extraction

Abstract

This paper investigates the optimum extraction temperature for enhanced total phenolic yields extracted from avocado fruit flesh (Persea americana) using subcritical water extraction, as well as the impact of fruit ripeness on phenol extraction efficiency. Additionally, extraction yield against extraction time was investigated for time intervals of 10 min over an overall extraction time of 30 min. The subcritical water conditions studied were 18 bar, 87 mL/min, and temperatures of 105 °C, 120 °C, and 140 °C. The total phenolic compounds content was compared for week one avocado flesh and ripe (week four) avocado flesh, with a four-week ripening period between the two samples. The results show that extracting with subcritical water at 105 °C provides the highest phenolic compounds yields of 0.11% and 0.26% by dried mass for week one and ripe fruit (week four), respectively. The experimental results also indicate that the implementation of lower extraction temperatures on week four avocado (i.e., following the selection of week one avocados and allowing them to ripen over a period of one month) enhances the phenolic compounds extraction yields by more than four times relative to the first week’s sample extract, specifically during the first 20 min of extraction.