Researchers at the ‘Zambrano Hellion’ Hospital and the FEMSA Biotechnology Center of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM for its acronym in Spanish) discovered a group of cardioprotective molecules in avocado, which decrease cardiovascular thrombus formation.
Doctors Gerardo Garcia Rivas and Carmen Hernandez Brenes, research leaders, studied various fatty molecules in avocado that may have a role in blood coagulation. “The idea emerged in order to see different molecular aspects in avocado that may have a biological function,” said Hernandez Brenes.
The research has been a complex process of several years. “Approximately, we have been working for 13 years with avocado’s chemical compounds,” they said.
Regarding the anticoagulant property, Garcia Rivas said that “some components in avocado, particularly these fats isolated, were able to decrease thrombus formation.” He added that they were able to demonstrate this fatty molecules’ bioactivity, which worked very similar to acetylsalicylic acid (commonly known as aspirin), which is prescribed for people with cardiovascular problems.
As for the future of his research, Dr. Hernandez Brenes explains that they are now working on understand if this molecules have the same bioactivity in an organism as they did in vitro. “That’s an important finding, we are working with experimental models to know how these molecules are available after they are eaten, how they are digested, how are absorbed, how are transported, there we have an important challenge: learn how to have the bioactivity within the organism.”
Another area that the researchers consider important is to ensure the safety of the molecule. “Through CONACYT funding, we obtained the resources to explore the potential toxicity that this compound might have, and we have very interesting data suggesting a low toxicity. However, further studies are needed to complete this information,” she said.
Source: Agencia Informativa CONACYT