FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PENTADESMA-BUTYRACEA FAT EXTRACTED FROM GHANA SEEDS

Abstract

Recent interest in the development of the tallow tree (Pentadesma butyracea S) as an oil-tree crop has stimulated agronomic and chemical studies of the tree and the fat obtained from its seeds. Tallow fat extracted from local seeds has been analysed for its chemical and physical constants and fatty acid composition. These characteristics have been compared with those of the better known cocoa butter and shea butter. Dry tallow kernels, shea butter kernels and cocoa beans contained 50, 52.1 and 53.4% fat, respectively. Tallow fat and shea butter are similar in several of their characteristics, particularly slip point, saponification number, solidification point and fatty acid composition; but tallow fat has a much lower unsaponifiable matter content (1.5–1.8%) than shea butter (7.3–9.0%). Both are markedly different from cocoa butter and cocoa butter replacement fats in respect of their melting points and fatty acid composition. Cooling curves of 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3 mixtures of tallow fat and cocoa butter indicate poor compatibility between the two fats.