A study on determination of olein and stearin composition in shea butter from Northern Region of Uganda

Abstract

The Nilotica difference Nilotica shea butter, also known as East African shea butter or shea Nilotica, is the rare cousin of West African shea butter (INCI: Butyrospermum Parkii). It is made from the nuts of the Nilotica shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa ssp. Nilotica), which only grows on the remote savannahs of Northern Uganda and South Sudan. Shea butter is a product traditionally made by hand by women in rural villages to use as a food and cosmetic oil. Until about a decade ago, Northern Uganda was inaccessible due to the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency, and South Sudan is a challenging area to access even today. It is no surprise that Nilotica shea butter is still mostly unknown on the international market due to its limited supply and marketing. However, given the unique and beneficial properties of the product and the positive social impact it can create in the areas where the trees grow, it is a very valuable product. Nilotica shea butter is naturally soft and creamy in texture. It has an ivory yellow color and a subtle sweet chocolatey scent, making it easy to use both pure and as a key ingredient in a wide variety of skincare and cosmetics products.