A SHEA BUTTER RICH IN TOCOPHEROLS (VITAMIN E) AT THE DOGON PLATEAU AND SENO BANKASS IN MALI (WEST AFRICA)

Authors

  • Bokary Allaye Kelly Institut d'Economie Rurale, Programme Ressources Forestières, Centre Régional de la Recherche Agronomique de Sikasso, BP 178 Sikasso, Mali
  • Fabrice Davrieux CIRAD, Performance of Tropical Production and Processing Systems Departement, UMR QUALISUD, TA B-95/16, 73, avenue Jean François Breton, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
  • Jean-Marc Bouvet Cirad Forestry Department, “Genetic diversity and breeding of forest tree species” research unit, Campus International de Baillarguet, TA 10C, BP 5035, 34035 Montpellier, France

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25081/jp.2018.v10.3743

Keywords:

Mali, shea butter, tocopherols, vitellaria paradoxa, West Africa

Abstract

Vitellaria paradoxa, a forest tree species plays an important role for rural populations in Mali. The kernel is rich in fat, fatty acids and tocopherols and the butter extrated from the kernel is used in many African kitchens, in pharmacology, cosmetics, local traditional medicine and as Chocolate Butter Equivalent (CBE) in chocolate industry. A consortium funded by the Europena Union has worked on several aspects of shea tree including chemical characterisation of shea butter. In Mali, one of the project partners, five sites were selected, fruits were collected from selected shea trees and sent to Montpellier for chemical analyses assessing among other variables the tocopherol content of the shea butter using liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results of this study shown that shea butter from the Dogon Plateau and the Seno Bankass is richer in tocopherols (Vitamin E) compared to other study sites. Sites were found significantly different for tocopherols content all together as well as for each type of tocopherol. The richness of shea butter from the Dogon Plateau and the Seno Bankass in tocopherols confers to it an important nutritional value for the good healf of rural populations of this zone, shea butter being the main source of fat for cooking in this area.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Published

07-05-2018

How to Cite

Kelly, B. A., Davrieux, F., & Bouvet, J.-M. (2018). A SHEA BUTTER RICH IN TOCOPHEROLS (VITAMIN E) AT THE DOGON PLATEAU AND SENO BANKASS IN MALI (WEST AFRICA). Journal of Phytology, 10(1), 56–60. https://doi.org/10.25081/jp.2018.v10.3743

Issue

Section

Articles