Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the storage conditions that warrant the optimum quality of the butter of P. butyracea. An experimental design was set up to study the effects of kernel boiling, the packaging material and the storage duration on the colour, saponification value and unsaponifiable fractions, acid and peroxide values and the iodine index of the butter of P. butyracea. The quality parameters of the butter vary significantly according to the storage conditions of the kernels. For all samples, the acid value increased significantly during the storage varying from 0.08 to 0.99 mg KOH/g and from 0.08 to 0.91 mg KOH/g for the kernels boiled and dried and for the kernels dried directly without boiling respectively. The peroxide value of the butter remains quite stable during the first 6 months of storage. The most significant modification occur between 6 and 12 months where an increasing from 3.82 to 15.20 meq O₂/kg was recorded for this parameter. The highest values of acid and peroxide value ​​were observed in butter extracted from the kernels stored in basket. The iodine index, the saponification and unsaponifiable content of the butter were affected in various extent. Overall, the kernels boiled prior to drying, stored in jute bag for a duration less than six months provided a butter with optimum quality characteristics.

Key words: Pentadesma butyracea, kernels, butter, packaging material, storage duration.