@article{Quainoo_Jibrim_Chimsah_2020, title={EFFECT OF SHEA FRUIT SUGAR CONTENT ON SHEA (Vitellaria paradoxa L.) BUTTER QUALITY}, volume={7}, url={https://udsijd.org/index.php/udsijd/article/view/436}, DOI={10.47740/436.UDSIJD6i}, abstractNote={<p>This study uses the indigenous knowledge of rural women in the shea parkland areas who are engaged in shea<br />nut picking and processing to determine the effect of shea fruit sugar content on shea butter quality. The study<br />was conducted within the shea parkland area in the Zoolanyili community in the Tolon District of Ghana. Shea<br />fruits from different trees were characterized based on the sweetness of the fruit pulp into three taste groups: very<br />sweet fruits (T1), sweet fruits (T2) and tasteless fruits (T3). The sugar content (Glucose, Fructose and sucrose)<br />of the fruit pulp were determined using gas chromatography. Generally, T1 recorded the highest fructose, glucose<br />and sucrose levels followed by T2 and T3 respectively. Shea butter from T1 recorded the lowest mean free fatty<br />acids (FFA) 1.35 % while T3 recorded the highest mean value of 9.76 %. Shea butter from T1 and T2 recorded<br />low FFA values and of higher quality than T3 which recorded high FFA value. FFA of shea butter extracted from<br />T1 and T2 were below 3% (< 3) hence first grade quality shea butter while the FFA of T3 was greater than 8%<br />(˃8) hence third grade shea butter. The correlation matrix revealed inverse relationship between the individual<br />sugars in the shea fruit pulp and butter FFA in the shea nut. Percentage FFA decreased as fructose, glucose and<br />sucrose in the shea fruits increased. There were no significant difference in the moisture content of the nuts<br />obtained from the characterized shea fruits.</p><p><strong>Keywords: Shea Fruit, Sugar Content, Free Fatty Acids, Moisture Content, Butter Quality</strong></p>}, number={1}, journal={UDS International Journal of Development}, author={Quainoo, A. K. and Jibrim, A. and Chimsah, F.}, year={2020}, month={Jul.}, pages={256–261} }