Extracting Oil from an Avocado

Hyunji Lee
Aisha Bada
Faye Aquino
Dongwon Lee
Nicole Bulawan
Chantal Zalamea
Chelceed Viernes
2I

Mrs. Pedernal

Biology Research II
High School Department
Colegio San Agustin, Makati

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Avocado oil is the edible oil pressed from the fleshy pulp of avocados. Avocado oil can be used for both cooking and cosmetic purposes.It is considered to be a useful and natural substance, but it is expensive. Its unusually high smoking point and aromatic flavor make it suitable for both high temperature frying and grilling, as well as an emulsifying salad oil. Nutritionally, avocado oil ranks comparably to olive oil with its low cholesterol level.

The researchers observed that avocado is a relatively expensive fruit, purchasing avocado oil from your local market can cost a significant amount. The researchers realized that the reason of it being expensive is because it has a very desirable quality as food oil. It has outstanding benefits to people when it comes health. With that realization, the researchers decided to conduct an experiment about extracting oil from avocados.

Statement of the Problem

This research aims to find a way to extract oil from an avocado. It wishes to find natural oil from avocados. It aims to know the answer to the following questions:

1. Would avocado be able to produce oil? 2. How would oil be extracted from avocados? 3. Would the avocado oil be beneficial?

after performing the experiment.
Hypothesis

Avocado would be able to produce oil. The experiment of extracting oil from an avocado would be possible if we use filtration to extract the oil from the avocado, and the produced oil would be possible to be used as natural and affordable alternative oil, but it would not be as effective as that of the professionally made avocado oil.

Significance of the Study

Avocado oil is beneficial, because it controls and modifies blood cholesterol, prevents cancer, promotes faster healing and better skin quality and it moisturizes the hair and skin. This research would be able to help people since it provides information about the benefits of avocado oil. This research helps in finding a way to help improve one’s health and skin.

Avocado oil has the ability to protect our cardiovascular system. Alpha linolenic acid (ALA), the omega-3 fatty acid in avocados, has been found to suppress tumor growth in breast and colon cancers. Vitamin A, D and E are all involved in skin cell growth and regeneration. Avocado oil is a great source of lecithin. Lecithin forms a protective covering on your hair follicles and your skin’s surface, effectively preventing the loss of moisture.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The researchers would be trying to find out how to extract oil from an avocado; however, this does not guarantee the same product as seen from your local market. They will conduct an experiment, using filtration to extract the oil from the flesh of the avocado. The aim of the research is to develop natural oil from an avocado. This is to see if the produced avocado oil would be of benefit to mankind.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Review of Related Literature and Related Studies

History

In the past avocados used to have a reputation for inducing sexual prowess. It wasn’t consumed by people who want to protect their image from slanderous assault. The Aztecs used the avocado as sex stimulant. During the Spanish conquest avocados we’re grown from Northern Mexico.
The nutritional value of avocado impelled Americans to distribute this to eastern hemisphere where the climate permitted it’s culture. It was introduced to Indonesia, Philippines, Hawaii and Brazil. However, only little was recorded about early introductions for avocado in South Africa.
In 1518 Martin Fernandez de Enciso was the first to publish a record that describes a avocado in a book. In 1550 The Spanish name, Aguacate , was first used by Pedro de Cieza de Leon in hi journal. He noted that the avocado grew in Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. As early as 1854 Francisco Salazar gives evidence that the avocado was already known in the market. In 1833 Judge Henry Perrine planted the first avocado tree in Florida. In 1895 Young Charles Delmonico introduced New York to the alligator pear or avocado. It was also mentioned in his book, The Epicurean.

Significance of an Avocado

Avocado is considered as the aristocrat of all the tropical fruits. The creamy, yellowish-green flesh of an Avocado, which has the consistency of butter, is rich in butter, iron, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin B. Avocado also has the highest protein content of any fruit in the world. Avocado is shaped like a pear and has a skin resembling that of an alligator from which it derives the name alligator pear.
Food writer Gaylord Hauser once said of it: "In this single delectable fruit are combined the protein of meat, the fat of butter (but much more wholesome!), the vitamins and minerals of green vegetables, the flavor of nuts, a six course dinner ". And a cereal pioneer John H. Kellogg maintained that "of all edible fruits, it stands pre-eminent as a source of concentrated nutriment adapted to human use. For purity, wholesomeness, ease of digestibility, and adaptation to human needs, it has few rivals and none that can fill its place."
In a lot of countries, fruit is often wasted and left to rot after dropping from the tree. The oil content of the fruit flesh is 15 to 30 percent but increases to 70 to 75 percent after drying. Avocado fruit continues to ripen even after having been picked from an Avocado tree.

Nutritional Facts of Avocados

Avocado oil is allowed to be served in many variations. The most commonly found one being with vinaigrette. It can also be added to other dishes to give a certain zest. It can be cubed with chicken or turkey salad, mashed to provide a topping for baked potatoes and a creamy texture to a salad dressing.
High avocado intake has been shown to have an effect on blood serum cholesterol levels. Specifically, after a seven day diet rich in avocados, hypercholesterolemia patients showed a 17% decrease in total serum cholesterol levels. These subjects also showed a 22% decrease in both LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels and 11% increase in HDL (good cholesterol) levels. About 75% of an avocado's calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas. They are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K.[19] They have the highest fiber content of any fruit - including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber. A fatty triol (fatty alcohol) with one double bond, avocadene (16-heptadecene-1,2,4-triol), is found in avocado.

Avocado is a very dense fruit, packed with nutrients. It is especially rich in Vitamin A. It also contains plenty of Vitamin B, especially niacin, folic acid, calcium, iron, 9 essential amino acids, and a mountain of potassium. The Avocado has shown to benefit circulation, lower cholesterol, and dilate blood vessels. It also has three times the amount of glutathione than in any other fruit.

Significance of Avocado Oil

Avocado oils are very aromatic and has multiple uses in cosmetics and culinary activities. Like olive oil, avocado oil is predominantly monounsaturated, a property which is thought to confer distinct health benefits. The avocado as a refined cooking oil has additional advantages. (Swisher, 2010).

Benefits of Avocado Oil

The oil of the avocado is known to be beneficial for the skin. It is used extensively for skin care products by the cosmetics industry in the manufacture of soaps, facial cream, and moisturizers.
Avocado oil is generally produced from fruit rejected by the fresh-fruit trade market. The cosmetic-grade oil is often produced from poor-quality rejected fruit, with the crude being subsequently refined, bleached and deodorized. The RBD oil is pale yellow with little avocado or taste, and is highly valued for its beneficial effects on the skin. Since avocado oil is easily absorbed by the skin, it results into extremely soft and hydrated facial skin. Avocado oil is also helpful for acne problems. One of the reasons for all of these skin benefits may be the way it seems to help increase collagen production within the layers of the dermis. Collagen is the connective protein that binds our skin together and youthful skin has high levels of it.
Avocado oil is also high in sterolins, which are reputed to reduce age spots, help heal sun damage and scars. Sterolins helps soften the skin.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

Research and find out how to extract oil from an avocado
Flowchart

Buy the ingredients needed to conduct the experiment

Start conducting the experiment

Cut the avocados in half and remove the seeds

Take off the flesh of the avocado and put it in the blender

Add the coconut cream into the blender together with the avocado

After which put the mixture into a pot and wait until it is boiling

Blend the mixture until the consistency is like a wet paste.

Let the avocados cool down, then put the avocado in a fine cloth

Start extracting the oil by filtrating the avocado

Put the extracted oil in a bottle.

Variables 1. Avocado 2. Coconut Cream

References

Miller, C (2010). How The Hass Avocado Came To Be
Stradley, L (2011). All About The Avocados: History of The Hass Avocado
California Avocado Society (2010). What Kind of Fruit is the Avocado?
Gustone, F (2011). Vegetable Oils in Food Technology: Composition, Properties and Uses http://www.thefloweringgarden.com/avocado.htm Barry,P.C (2011). Avocado: The Early Roots of Avocado History
California Avocado Society (2011). Avocado Fun Facts
Moritz, A (2010). Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation http://www.greenstone.org/greenstone3/nzdl?a=d&d=HASHb95cc34701509b4015a0f6.6&c=fnl2.2&sib=1&dt=&ec=&et=&p.a=b&p.s=ClassifierBrowse&p.sa= Swisher, (2010).