Botanical Index No. 66

Avocado

persea americana

Medicinal Actions

Antiaging, Antibacterial, Antifertility, Antiinflammatory, Antiseptic, Astringent, Carminative, Contraceptive, Diuretic, Emmenagogue, Expectorant, Hematonic, Hepatoprotective, Hypertensive, Hypocholesterolemic, Hypotensive, Hypotriglyceridemic, Laxative, Litholytic, Parasiticide, Piscicide, Rodenticide, Stomachic, Uricosuric, Uterotonic, High Triglyceride

Primary Conditions Treated

Abortifacient Aphrodisiac COX-2-Inhibitor Deobstruent Emollient Lactifuge Poison Rubefacient Vermifuge Alopecia Alzheimer’s Ameba Amenorrhea Anemia Arthrosis Atherosclerosis Bacteria Bleeding Bruise Calculus Cancer labial Catarrh Cold Cough Dandruff Dermatosis Diabetes Diarrhea Dysentery Dysmenorrhea Dyspepsia Enterosis Escherichia Fertility Fever Frigidity Gas Gout Headache Hematoma Hemorrhoid Hepatosis High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol Ichthyosis Impotence Infection Inflammation Low Blood Pressure Malaria Metrorrhagia Mucososis Neuralgia Parasite Poor Milk Supply Pulmonosis Pyorrhea Rheumatism Scabies Snakebite Sore Throat Sprain Stone Toothache Water Retention Whitlow Worm Wound

General Dosage

Fruit pulp food farmacy. For emmenagogue activity; take 120–240 ml every 6–8 hours of the aqueous decoction. For empacho, grind 1 seed; boil in 2 cups water; drink 1 cup hot 2 ×/day.

Safety & Contraindications

Not covered. “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages”. Leaves contain dopamine and the leaf oil contains methyl chavicol. Ingestion of leaves, bark, or both has caused mastitis in cattle, horses, rabbits, and goats, and large doses have been fatal to goats. Ingestion of the leaves has proved fatal to rabbits. Avocado leaves in a pool have killed fish. Unripe avocados said to be toxic; canaries have died after ingesting ripe fruit. Two resins derived from the skin of the fruit are toxic to guinea pigs by subcutaneous and peritoneal injection. Ground seeds mixed with cornmeal or cheese have been used to poison rodents. LD50 water extracts of leaves = >8828 mg/kg ipr rat; LD50 water extracts of fruits = >12,500 mg/kg orl rat; LD50 water extracts of leaves = >12,500 mg/kg orl rat.

!