Avocado is a very nutrient dense fruit, which is grown in warm climates and enjoyed by many people. It is a very versatile fruit, being used in dips, as a substitute for butter, or even made into pie. The versatility of avocado makes it easy to incorporate into a diet, and thus makes it easy to take advantage of the many health benefits of avocado. These benefits may include: maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels, reduced risk of cancer and eye disease, improved digestion, and many others (Ware RDN LD, 2015). These health benefits can often be traced back to the organic compounds found within the fruit. There is a common misconception that avocados are not good in a healthy diet because of their high fat content. However, the fats contained
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Catechol is a benzene ring with two hydroxyl groups attached. In the presence of O2 and an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, which is found in large amounts in avocado, catechol is converted to quinones (Why Do Avocados Turn Brown? -The Chemistry of Avocados, 2015). When the enzyme helps convert catechol, it produces a molecule known as 1,2-benzoquinone, composed of a benzene ring with two oxygens, each double bonded to it. This product is toxic to bacteria, allowing it to protect the fruit (Why Do Avocados Turn Brown? -The Chemistry of Avocados, 2015). The quinone products react with one another to form long polymer chains, which produces the brown color that appears on avocado after being exposed to oxygen (Why Do Avocados Turn Brown? -The Chemistry of Avocados, 2015). The organic compounds found throughout avocado can play important roles in human health and in the health of the avocado. From providing the human body with essential fats, to helping to prevent disease and cancer through antioxidation, to simply protecting the fruit it exists in, the organic compounds in avocado all perform incredible tasks that are often a result of their chemical structures, conformations, and functional
Catechol is a benzene ring with two hydroxyl groups attached. In the presence of O2 and an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, which is found in large amounts in avocado, catechol is converted to quinones (Why Do Avocados Turn Brown? -The Chemistry of Avocados, 2015). When the enzyme helps convert catechol, it produces a molecule known as 1,2-benzoquinone, composed of a benzene ring with two oxygens, each double bonded to it. This product is toxic to bacteria, allowing it to protect the fruit (Why Do Avocados Turn Brown? -The Chemistry of Avocados, 2015). The quinone products react with one another to form long polymer chains, which produces the brown color that appears on avocado after being exposed to oxygen (Why Do Avocados Turn Brown? -The Chemistry of Avocados, 2015). The organic compounds found throughout avocado can play important roles in human health and in the health of the avocado. From providing the human body with essential fats, to helping to prevent disease and cancer through antioxidation, to simply protecting the fruit it exists in, the organic compounds in avocado all perform incredible tasks that are often a result of their chemical structures, conformations, and functional