Valorization of Colombian native avocado (Persea americana cv. papelillo): biochar, bio-oil, biogas, and edible oil production

The Colombian native avocado variety Persea americana cv. Papelillo, traditionally cultivated alongside coffee crops, remains scientifically underexplored despite its local economic importance. Unlike commercial cultivars such as Hass, this variety faces commercialization challenges due to rapid ripening and oxidation, leading to significant underutilization of its byproducts. This research addresses that gap by integrating two valorization routes for Papelillo byproducts—seeds and second-grade pulp—within a circular bioeconomy framework. Slow pyrolysis of seeds was performed to produce biochar, bio-oil, and biogas, while hydrodynamic cavitation was used to extract edible oil from second-grade pulp. Thermal decomposition kinetics were analyzed using thermogravimetric (TGA) and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) techniques, supported by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Activation energies were calculated through the Ozawa–Flynn–Wall and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose models. Pyrolysis yielded 31.2 % biochar (21.39 kJ/kg calorific value), 3.7 % bio-oil, and 59.8 % biogas. The biochar exhibited favorable morphology and high heavy-metal adsorption potential. Hydrodynamic cavitation achieved a 69.16 % oil yield in 15 min with low energy intensity (990 kJ/kg), producing oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and with desirable physicochemical properties. This study presents the first integrated dual-valorization model for the native Colombian avocado variety, Persea americana cv. Papelillo. The developed framework integrates the hydrodynamic cavitation-assisted extraction of edible oil from pulp with the slow pyrolysis of biomass waste like seeds. This model successfully demonstrates the feasibility of converting this native avocado waste into bio-oil, biochar and nutraceutical-grade oils, thereby supporting sustainable agro-industrial practices and regional bioeconomic development in Colombia.