Integrating Explainable Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Evaluate Fermented-Roasted Avocado Seed Powder as a Natural Antioxidant in Beef Patties

Abstract

This study evaluates fermented–roasted avocado seed powder (ASP) as a sustainable antioxidant for beef patties and integrates explainable artificial intelligence (AI) to provide mechanistic insights into lipid oxidation control. ASP was produced via controlled fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum followed by roasting and incorporated into beef patties (0.95 g/kg). Its performance was compared with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and untreated controls during 10-day refrigerated storage at 4 °C. ASP exhibited the highest initial reducing antioxidant capacity (0.283 mg ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE)/g) measured by cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) and maintained significantly greater activity than BHT and control throughout storage (p < 0.05). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) analysis showed ASP reduced lipid oxidation by 21% relative to control, approaching BHT efficacy. ASP also improved colour stability and preserved key fatty acids, notably oleic acid. Volatile profiling revealed distinct antioxidant behaviour, with ASP generating Maillard-derived compounds rather than relying on synthetic additives. Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) analysis, applied to an extreme gradient boosting model (XGBoost), identified γ-linolenic acid, oleic acid, pentanal, and 2-heptanone as major predictors of oxidative stability, highlighting ASP's broad-spectrum protective effect. These findings demonstrate that ASP not only valorises avocado seed waste but also offers a viable alternative to synthetic antioxidants, supporting sustainability goals. The integration of explainable AI with multivariate analysis provides new understanding of lipid oxidation pathways and antioxidant performance in meat systems.