EFFECT OF SPROUTING ON PROXIMATE COMPOSITION, FATTY ACID PROFILE AND MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF SHEA NUTS BUTTER

The effect of sprouting shea nuts on the proximate composition, fatty acid profile and microbiological quality of shea nut butter were examined. Shea fruits were collected under different shea trees, pooled, divided into sprouted and non-sprouted and butter extracted using skimmed method. Proximate and microbial quality was analyzed using standard protocols. The result showed percentage decrease in lipid and protein content of the sprouted shea butter (30.11±0.01 and 15.01±0.04) when compared to non-sprouted butter (53.17±0.02 and 24.44±0.49). The percentage content of Nitrogen free extract (NFE) (12.40±0.00, 18.81±0.19), fibre (5.301±0.02, 3.93±0.02), ash (0.43±0.01, 3.81±0.01), moisture (0.51±0.0, 0.78±0.0) and energy (318.00±0.10, 646.91±0.60 Kcal/Keg) for sprouted and non-sprouted shea butter respectively showed depletion in all the parameters in sprouted shea nut butter except for the fibre content. These were observed to differ significantly (P<0.05). The non-sprouted shea butter yielded the highest fatty acid (C16:0 7.91±0.03%; C18.0, 23.82±0.02%; C18:1, 34:32±0.02%; C18:2, 5.52±0.01%. C20:4, 5.79±0.02%,) when compared to the sprouted shea nuts butter (C16:0, 4.78±0.02%; C18:0, 18.88±0.01%; C18:1, 20.92±0.03%; C18:2, 3.33±0.01%; C20.4, 3.18±0.02). The fatty acid profile of the sprouted shea nut butter differ significantly (P<0.05) with the non-sprouted shea nut butter. The microbial quality of both sprouted and non-sprouted shea butter showed a total viable count of 1.6×103 and 1.3×103, total coliform count of 17 and 14, and fungal count of 6 and 5 CFU/g respectively and no counts for faecal coliform. This result was found to be within the acceptable limit of microbiological standard. However, there is need for proper hygiene maintenance during processing and storage of shea butter.