Abstract
The shea tree, Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertner, is the source of a commercial seed fat known as shea butter. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the tocopherol content of shea butters from different regions of Africa showed high variability between provenances and a significant effect of climate on α-tocopherol levels. The total tocopherol content (α,β, γ, and δ) in 102 shea butter samples from 11 countries ranged from 29 to 805 μg/g of shea butter, with a mean of 220 μg/g. α-Tocopherol, the principal form detected, averaged 64% of the total tocopherol content. Shea butters from Vitellaria populations situated in hot, dry climates had the highest levels of α-tocopherol (for example, a mean of 414 μg/g in samples from N'Djamena, Chad). The lowest concentrations of α-tocopherol were found in samples from cool highland areas, especially in northern Uganda (a mean of 29 μg/g).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2934-2937 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue number | 10 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 19 May 2004 |
Keywords
- Africa
- Antioxidants
- Shea butter
- Temperature effects
- Tocopherols
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemistry
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
