Abstract

In this study, the physicochemical characteristics, alpha tocopherol and fatty acid profile of shea butter sold in Kishi market (Local shea butter, LSB) and the olein (local shea olein, LSO) were compared with improved shea butter (ISB) and improved shea olein, (ISO) extracted from shea kernels from Kishi farmland. The ISB had 2.06±0.03% free fatty acid, 1.02±0.03 mEqO2/kg peroxide value, 56.41±2.07g/100g iodine value, and 150.82±0.10 mg KOH/g saponification value. The ISO had 2.01±0.01% free fatty acid, 2.71±0.01 mEqO2/kg peroxide value, 59.32±1.11 g/100g iodine value and 136.68±0.20 mg KOH/g saponification value. In conclusion, improved shea butter and olein were of relatively higher quality compared with the corresponding local shea butter and olein which reveals the need to improve the traditional method of processing shea butter.

Key words: Improved shea butter, α-tocopherol, fatty acid composition, peroxide value, iodine value.