Recent advances to recover value-added compounds from avocado by-products following a biorefinery approach

In recent years, the consumption of avocado (as fresh fruit or processed) has experienced a sharp increase worldwide due to its nutritional value and beneficial health effects. Its industrial processing generates huge amounts of underused by-products, mainly peel and seed, causing important environmental and economic problems. However, these wastes present a high content of bioactive phytochemicals making its recovery an excellent opportunity to enhance sustainability and profitability of the modern avocado industry. This review encompasses the main studies related to the cutting-edge extraction techniques used to obtain value-added compounds from avocado by-products. Moreover, an integrated biorefinery model to manufacture several high-added-value products with significant applications in the food, pharmaceutical, chemistry, and cosmetic industries is also raised.