Abstract
Shea butter is a product of the shea tree. Traditionally, farmers traditionally rely on external features to determine harvest time, this research emphasizes the inadequacy of such metrics for fruits. The study aims to address this gap by assessing the nutritional content (Moisture, Crude Fat, Crude Protein, Ash, Crude Fibre, and Carbohydrate) at various stages of shea fruit (Mesocarp, Endocarp/Shell and Kernel) development. Standard methods were employed, harvesting fruits at different weeks (4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 weeks after flowering). Results reveal variations in nutritional content across stages. Moisture content of the mesocarp ranged between 57.50% - 67.00%, the carbohydrate content did not follow any trend but ranged from 56.75% to 77.53%, the crude protein content experienced a decrease from fourth week (9.25%) to fourteenth week (2.27%) and a zigzag trend from sixteenth week (8.26%) through eighteenth week (4.27%) to twentieth week (6.58%), the ash content showed an increase from the fourth week (2.50%) to the sixteenth week (6.00%) and a zigzag pattern from the eighteenth week (3.90%) to the twentieth week (5.20%), the crude fat content showed an increase from the fourth week (6.80%) to the eighth week (22.10%) and a decrease from the eighth week to the twentieth week (4.30%) and the crude fibre content showed an increase from the fourth week (7.70%) to the eighth week (15.00%) and a gradual decrease from the eighth week to the twentieth week (8.70%). The endocarp showed a decrease in the Moisture, crude fat, ash and crude protein contents from the fourth week to the twentieth week (moisture from 77.30% to 16.90%, crude fat from 7.70% to 2.00%, ash from 6.00% to 0.70% and crude protein from 11.37% to 0.86%), the crude fibre content increased from the fourth week to the twentieth week (7.20% to 73.40%) and the carbohydrate content increased from the fourth week (69.83%) to the tenth week (71.75%) and decreased thereon to the twentieth week (23.04%). The moisture and carbohydrate content of the kernel increased from the fourth week to the twentieth week (moisture from 80.40% to 37.70% and carbohydrate from 80.93% to 14.90%), the crude protein, ash and crude fat contents increased from the fourth week to the twentieth week (crude protein from 1.47% to 14.90%, ash from 2.00% to 5.60% and crude fat from 11.30% to 56.60%), 11 the crude fibre content showed an increase from the fourth week (4.30%) to the fourteenth week (8.80%), decrease from the fourteenth week to the eighteenth week (6.60%) and an increase in the twentieth week (8.00%). These findings provide valuable insights for farmers to optimize shea fruit harvest timing.
