The Current State of Knowledge of Shea Butter Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertner.) for Nutritional Value and Tree Improvement in West and Central Africa

Vitellaria paradoxa (C.F.Gaertn.) is a multi-purpose tree species distributed in a narrow band across sub-Saharan Africa. The species is integrated into cropping and agroforestry systems as a nutritional and economic resource, which provides a range of environmental services. Integration of the spec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forests 2021-12, Vol.12 (12), p.1740
Main Authors: Choungo Nguekeng, Patrick Bustrel, Hendre, Prasad, Tchoundjeu, Zacharie, Kalousová, Marie, Tchanou Tchapda, Armelle Verdiane, Kyereh, Dennis, Masters, Eliot, Lojka, Bohdan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agroforestry
biodiversity conservation
Breeding
Butter
Community
Consortia
Domestication
Economics
Endangered & extinct species
Environmental services
Farmers
Food
Fruits
Genetic diversity
genetic resources
Genetics
Genomics
Land use
livelihoods
Local population
molecular marker
Nutrition
Nutritive value
Plant species
Population genetics
Population structure
Rural areas
Seeds
Species
Species diversity
Timber
Trees
Vitellaria paradoxa
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Summary:Vitellaria paradoxa (C.F.Gaertn.) is a multi-purpose tree species distributed in a narrow band across sub-Saharan Africa. The species is integrated into cropping and agroforestry systems as a nutritional and economic resource, which provides a range of environmental services. Integration of the species into land-use systems provides an essential source of livelihoods and income for local populations. The economic potential of the shea butter tree derives from its edible products, which also serve cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. To understand the current state of knowledge about V. paradoxa, this paper summarizes information about the ecology, population structure, and genetic diversity of the species, also considering compositional variation in the pulp and kernels, management practices, and efforts towards its domestication. Despite the great potential of the shea butter tree, there are some gaps in the understanding of the genetics of the species. This review presents up-to-date information related to the species for further domestication and breeding purposes.
ISSN:1999-4907
1999-4907
DOI:10.3390/f12121740