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Evaluation of the anti-microbial properties of the Persea americana Mill Avocado, Lorena Variety, in the Department of Tolima-Colombia

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The Lorena variety has gained national and international recognition due to studies that reveal the bioactive properties of the eatable and non-eatable parts of the fruit, highlighting the content of the secondary metabolites that give life to the generation of functional products. The anti-microbial capacity of the pulp was assessed along with the skin (peel) and the seed of the Persea americana Mill Lorena variety, in Rhizopus oryzae, Botrytis cinérea and antibacterial activity in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The extracts were obtained by means of stirring and incubation, following the methodology described by Lu et al. in 2005; the anti-microbial activity was estimated following the poisoning method of the agar described by Quintero et al. in 2011 using concentrations of 10000-50000 ppm (particles per million) of the extract; measuring the halo size of the mycelium growth. The antibacterial activity was evaluated according to the Kirby-Bauer method quoted by Jurado et al., (2014), estimating the antibiotic effect of the extracts in function of the size of the halo and the inhibition in pond on the stumps, doing positive controls with ampicillin and cephalexin. The extract of the skin presented antibacterial inhibition in Staphylococcus aureus, possibly due to the presence of flavonoids, total phenols, and tannin condensed in the skin, while the extract of the seed generated inhibition probably because of the presence of condensed tannin and flavonoids. The extracts of the avocado have the capacity of inhibiting the growth of fungi in different proportions. The Lorena variety has bioactive and physicochemical characteristics that are important in the development of the agroindustry, due to the value added. The investigation strengthens the value of the avocado in the development of the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, benefiting also processed products for the national and international market.