Avocado (Persea americana Mill) seed starch: composition, extraction, and applications—a comprehensive review

Abstract

Avocado ( Persea americana Mill) seeds, representing approximately 13%–18% of fruit mass, are an underutilized agro-industrial residue and promising source of value-added starch. This review evaluates current evidence on avocado seed starch, emphasizing key findings, unresolved limitations, and research priorities. Available studies indicate relatively high amylose content (30%–49%), semi-crystalline B-type or mixed A/B-type organization, high gelatinization temperatures, good paste stability, and substantial resistant starch levels, supporting its functional potential. However, substantial variation in yield and functional properties among cultivars and extraction conditions, together with the absence of standardized extraction and characterization protocols, limits reliable comparison across studies. Microwave-assisted extraction shows promise for improving recovery, but evidence for scalability and process efficiency remains limited. Research on starch modification is also uneven, with chemical approaches better studied than physical, enzymatic, and combined strategies. Food applications are supported by experimental evidence, whereas pharmaceutical, textile, packaging, and nanomaterial applications remain at varying stages of experimental validation and are therefore discussed as potential applications. Future research should prioritize standardized structure–function studies, sustainable process optimization and scale-up, systematic modification studies, and rigorous safety, toxicological, techno-economic, and life-cycle assessments. These advances are essential for translating avocado seed starch into a reliable and sustainable functional biomaterial.