ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION Avocado is one of the important crops grown in Mexico, the United States, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Colombia, and many other countries of South America, Central America, the Caribbean islands, and South Africa (1). Avocado is consumed mostly as a fresh fntit. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the export of avocado fruit due to its dietary value (2). It is a high-fat fntit, which contains rare sugars of high carbon number and is relatively rich in certain vitamins, minerals, and nitrogenous substances (2). It is a popular food of Central America. It has high oil and low sugar content, so it is recommended as a high-energy food for diabetics. Avocados are eaten with bread and tortillas or in salads with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Avocado oil is in great demand for the preparation of cosmetics. In Western Europe, imports of avocados have increased severalfold in the last decade. The major producers of avocado are Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil (3), the United States, Peru, Venezuela, and Haiti (Table 1).
