The influence of drying and extraction on the quality of Hass avocado oil was investigated in this study. Pulp from ripe avocados was ground and dried under microwaves or oven drying with forced air circulation. Pre‐treatment with pectinolytic enzymes in the oven‐drying stage was also assessed. Avocado oil was extracted using expeller pressing or solvent extraction, with petroleum ether or ethanol. Oil from pressed and microwave‐dried avocado pulp presented the lowest acid (0.2 ± 0.02% oleic acid) and peroxide values (4.79 ± 0.004 mEq O2/kg) and the highest oxidative stability (20.8 ± 1.63 h) in contrast with the oil from ethanol extraction (0.42 ± 0.02% oleic acid, 12.2 ± 0.20 mEq O2/kg, and 3.22 ± 0.14 h, respectively). Fatty acid composition did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) between the processes. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that pressed oils were typically moisture free and presented mass losses characteristic of fatty acid and triacylglycerol degradation. Pressing avocado pulp dried under microwaves stands out as a promising alternative for avocado oil processing, as it produces oil with low acidity and high oxidative stability that is appropriate for consumption as an edible oil. Practical applications: Combining microwave drying and pressing of avocado pulp led to a superior quality avocado oil, in terms of acid value, peroxide value, and oxidative stability. This procedure is a promising technology to obtain solvent‐free avocado oil with potential uses in cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and gourmet food products. Hass avocado oil extracted by a combination of microwave drying and pressing presented the best quality.

One consequence of oil production is the possibility of unplanned accidental oil spills; therefore, it is important to evaluate the potential of indigenous microorganisms (both prokaryotes and eukaryotes) from different oceanic basins to degrade oil. The aim of this study was to characterize the microbial response during the biodegradation process of Brazilian crude oil, both with and without the addition of the dispersant Corexit 9500, using deep-sea water samples from the Amazon equatorial margin basins, Foz do Amazonas and Barreirinhas, in the dark and at low temperatures (4°C). We collected deep-sea samples in the field (about 2570 m below the sea surface), transported the samples back to the laboratory under controlled environmental conditions (5°C in the dark) and subsequently performed two laboratory biodegradation experiments that used metagenomics supported by classical microbiological methods and chemical analysis to elucidate both taxonomic and functional microbial diversity. We also analyzed several physical–chemical and biological parameters related to oil biodegradation. The concomitant depletion of dissolved oxygen levels, oil droplet density characteristic to oil biodegradation, and BTEX concentration with an increase in microbial counts revealed that oil can be degraded by the autochthonous deep-sea microbial communities. Indigenous bacteria (e.g., Alteromonadaceae, Colwelliaceae, and Alcanivoracaceae), archaea (e.g., Halobacteriaceae, Desulfurococcaceae, and Methanobacteriaceae), and eukaryotic microbes (e.g., Microsporidia, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota) from the Amazonian margin deep-sea water were involved in biodegradation of Brazilian crude oil within less than 48-days in both treatments, with and without dispersant, possibly transforming oil into microbial biomass that may fuel the marine food web.