Physicochemical Evaluation of Shea Butter Treated with Borututu (Cochlospermum Angolensis) Bark

Abstract

Borututu (Cochlospermum angolensis) bark has long been used in the preparation of ‘yellow shea butter with claims of improving its aesthetic appeal and quality than its ‘ivory’ counterpart. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of ‘borututu’ bark on the physicochemical and antioxidant characteristics of shea butter. The shea butter samples were treated with borututu bark (shredded and milled) at varying levels of 10–70 g per 100 g of butter. The resulting butter samples were analysed for pH, acid value, free fatty acid, saponification value, ester value, iodine value total polyphenols and % radical scavenging activity using standard methods. The results indicate that ‘borututu’ influenced the physicochemical properties positively and improved the total polyphenol content and radical scavenging properties of the treated shea butter samples. The findings suggest that borututu could be explored as natural food additive/colourant to improve the quality attributes of shea butter.