Sheanut (Vitellaria paradoxa)

Datasheet

Description

Click on the "Nutritional aspects" tab for recommendations for ruminants, pigs, poultry, rabbits, horses, fish and crustaceans

Common names

Shea, shea tree, sheanut, vitellaria, shea nut, shea butter tree, butter tree [English]; karité, árbol de mantequilla, árbol montequero, butirospermo [Spanish]; karité [French/Italian]; carité [Portuguese]; si [Bambara]; Karitébaum, Scheanussbaum, Schibutterbaum [German]; 乳木果 [Chinese]; シアーバターノキ [Japanese]; Ши, Карите [Russian]

Products: shea butter, sheanut butter, sheanut cake [English]; manteca de karité [Spanish]; beurre de karité [French]

Species

Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn. [Sapotaceae]

Synonyms

Bassia parkii G. Don, Butyrospermum paradoxum (C. F. Gaertn.) Hepper, Butyrospermum paradoxum subsp. parkii (G. Don) Hepper, Butyrospermum parkii (G. Don) Kotschy (USDA, 2009)

Related feed(s)

Description

Sheanut (Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn.) is a deciduous, small to medium-sized tree growing up to a height of 15-25 m. Leaves are caducous and spirally arranged, mostly in dense clusters at the tips of branches. Fruit is a 1 or 2-seeded ellipsoid berry (4-8 cm), weighing 10-50 g, initially green but turning yellowish green or brown at maturity (Nikiema et al., 2007). Sheanut fruits are a source of energy during the dry season. The large fleshy seeds yield about 45% edible lardlike fat, the sheanut butter, used for food and cosmetics. A by-product of the butter extraction is sheanut cake or meal, which can be used as a feedstuff.

Distribution

The shea tree is indigenous to African savannahs from Senegal to Sudan, Western Ethiopia and Uganda. It may also be found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea and Congo.

It grows on a variety of soils, such as clay, sandy clay, sand, stony soil and laterites. It prefers colluvial slopes with moderately moist, deep soils, rich in organic matter (Nikiema et al., 2007).

Environmental impact

The shea tree contributes to better crop yields as it returns organic matter to the soil, thus improving the water-holding capacity of the soil and preventing soil desiccation, provides shade and acts as a windbreak (Boffa et al., 2000).

Nutritional aspects

Potential constraints

The shea tree and its by-products contain phenolics, tannins, saponins that irritate the digestive tract of animals, and alkaloids (theobromine) (Dei et al., 2008a). They are very bitter and unpalatable, and the seeds must be processed in order to reduce the global amount of antinutritional factors (Göhl, 1982).

Various methods to detoxify sheatnut meal have been proposed, including boiling, fermentation (Dei et al., 2008b) and NaOH treatment (Annongu et al., 1996).

Ruminants

Ruminants can tolerate more sheanut meal than monogastrics, but inclusion rates higher than 30% affect the digestibility of other feeds in the ration. Because of its very low nutritive value, it is often used to provide non-nutritive bulk in diets (Göhl, 1982).

Pigs

Pigs can be fed up to 20% boiled sheanut cake in the diet (Rhule, 1999) but a higher inclusion rate is poisonous (Göhl, 1982).

Poultry

Sheanut cake or meal has a low nutritive value for poultry, due to its low protein content and toxicity. It results in a poor performance in broilers compared to other feedstuffs, including cottonseed cake, sorghum beer residue and wheat feed (Pousga et al., 2007 ; Dei et al., 2008a). The maximum recommended inclusion level of sheanut cake in broiler diets is 2.5%, as higher rates caused decreased concentrations of red blood cells, haemoglobin, haematocrit and serum cholesterol (Atuahene et al., 1998).

Treatments such as boiling and fermentation can improve growth (Dei et al., 2008b). Amino acid and molasses supplementation were found to alleviate the negative effects of the antinutritional factors in broilers (Annongu et al., 1996).

Rabbits

Sheanut foliage

Shea nut leaves (Vitellaria paradoxa) distributed ad libitum in addition to a concentrate (1.5% body weight), could be used to feed growing rabbits and provide an acceptable growth rate though a little bit lower (10.1 vs 11.8 g/d) than that permitted by foliage of Nauclea latifolia also available during the dry season (Yusuf et al., 2010). Sheanut leaves represented about two third of the rabbits daily intake during the experiment.
Thus, sheatnut leaves can be considered as a suitable source of forage for rabbits, rich in fibre (52% NDF in DM) but low in proteins (about 8% in DM). The calculated digestible energy value is 8.6 MJ/ kg DM and the digestibility of proteins is low (about 24%) as a probable consequence of the very high level of lignins (20%) (Lebas, 2016).

Sheanut meal

Dried sheanut meal or cake can be introduced without negative consequence in growing or reproducing rabbits diets up to 25 -30% mainly as a source of energy (Shaahu et al., 2020; Idahor et al., 2018a; Idahor et al., 2018b; Idahor et al., 2016,; Alemede et al., 2013; Alemede et al., 2012; Alemede et al., 2011; Ansah et al., 2011). The lysine content of the protein covers only 70-80% of rabbit requirements and total sulphur amino acids are just sufficient (Lebas, 2004).
According to the lipid content, the calculated energy value of industrial cake may vary from 9.8 to 11.2 MJ/kg DM , but home made cake rich in lipids, may have a digestible energy of about 18 MJ/kg DM (Lebas, 2016). It must be underlined that the lignins content is very high (about 20%), and then useful to control digestive rabbit health (Gidenne, 2015).

Nutritional tables

Tables of chemical composition and nutritional value

Avg: average or predicted value; SD: standard deviation; Min: minimum value; Max: maximum value; Nb: number of values (samples) used

Sheanut cake, oil < 10%

Main analysis	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Dry matter	% as fed	92.8	2.9	87.5	96.1	8
Crude protein	% DM	14.1	4.7	5.9	20.3	12
Crude fibre	% DM	11.1	2.3	8.1	16.1	10
NDF	% DM	36.1	8.7	25.8	49.9	5
ADF	% DM	34.3	4.6	28.7	39.4	8
Lignin	% DM	21.7	3.3	18.4	24.8	4
Ether extract	% DM	4.5	2.7	0.4	8.0	11
Ash	% DM	7.2	2.0	5.4	12.9	11
Gross energy	MJ/kg DM	18.3	0.2	18.3	19.2	3	*

Minerals	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Calcium	g/kg DM	3.0	1.3	1.6	4.9	7
Phosphorus	g/kg DM	2.4	0.7	1.7	3.8	7
Potassium	g/kg DM	5.4				1
Sodium	g/kg DM	0.5		0.5	0.5	2
Magnesium	g/kg DM	1.7		1.5	1.8	2
Manganese	mg/kg DM	32				1
Zinc	mg/kg DM	55				1
Copper	mg/kg DM	23				1

Amino acids	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Cystine	% protein	1.3				1
Lysine	% protein	4.0				1
Methionine	% protein	2.1				1
Threonine	% protein	3.4				1

The asterisk * indicates that the average value was obtained by an equation.

References

CIRAD, 1991; CIRAD, 1994; Cirad, 2008; Dei et al., 2008; Leroy et al., 1943; Morgan et al., 1980; Pousga et al., 2007; Waters et al., 1992

Last updated on 24/10/2012 00:43:19

Sheanut cake, oil > 10%

Main analysis	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Dry matter	% as fed	92.6	1.5	91.3	94.5	4
Crude protein	% DM	14.4	1.7	12.1	17.7	12
Crude fibre	% DM	10.1	3.5	6.3	17.3	7
NDF	% DM	45.6		45.6	45.6	2
ADF	% DM	36.8				1
Ether extract	% DM	12.7	2.0	10.1	16.6	12
Ash	% DM	5.6	0.7	4.6	6.6	12
Gross energy	MJ/kg DM	20.3	0.7	20.3	24.3	5	*

Minerals	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Calcium	g/kg DM	2.5	0.8	1.6	4.1	10
Phosphorus	g/kg DM	2.1	0.6	1.4	3.1	10
Potassium	g/kg DM	16.2	8.9	0.4	20.8	5
Sodium	g/kg DM	1.6		1.1	2.1	2
Magnesium	g/kg DM	1.6	0.1	1.4	1.7	6
Manganese	mg/kg DM	176		25	328	2
Zinc	mg/kg DM	276		27	525	2
Copper	mg/kg DM	189		6	372	2
Iron	mg/kg DM	459				1

Amino acids	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Alanine	% protein	4.3				1
Arginine	% protein	8.4	0.9	6.9	9.0	5
Aspartic acid	% protein	8.4				1
Cystine	% protein	1.7	0.1	1.6	1.7	5
Glutamic acid	% protein	13.4				1
Glycine	% protein	4.8	0.6	3.7	5.1	5
Histidine	% protein	2.7	0.2	2.4	2.9	5
Isoleucine	% protein	4.5	0.3	3.9	4.7	5
Leucine	% protein	7.5	0.7	6.3	8.0	5
Lysine	% protein	3.9	0.3	3.4	4.2	5
Methionine	% protein	2.1	0.3	1.6	2.3	5
Phenylalanine	% protein	3.6	0.3	3.1	3.9	5
Proline	% protein	4.0				1
Serine	% protein	3.2				1
Threonine	% protein	3.9	0.6	2.8	4.3	5
Tryptophan	% protein	1.4	0.0	1.4	1.5	4
Tyrosine	% protein	3.1				1
Valine	% protein	5.6	0.4	4.9	5.8	5

Secondary metabolites	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Tannins (eq. tannic acid)	g/kg DM	161.5	35.7	119.2	201.3	4
Tannins, condensed (eq. catechin)	g/kg DM	253.5				1

The asterisk * indicates that the average value was obtained by an equation.

References

Atuahene et al., 1998; CIRAD, 1991; Dei et al., 2008; Dei et al., 2008; Morgan et al., 1980; Rhule, 1999

Last updated on 24/10/2012 00:43:19

Sheanut cake, non-industrial, oil > 30%

Main analysis	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Crude protein	% DM	11.1		10.4	11.8	2
Ether extract	% DM	37.9		36.4	39.5	2
Ash	% DM	6.4		5.2	7.6	2
Gross energy	MJ/kg DM	26.7		26.0	27.4	2

Minerals	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Calcium	g/kg DM	3.4		3.0	3.8	2
Phosphorus	g/kg DM	2.5		2.4	2.6	2

Amino acids	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Arginine	% protein	7.4		7.2	7.6	2
Cystine	% protein	1.3		1.3	1.4	2
Glycine	% protein	5.1		4.9	5.4	2
Histidine	% protein	2.5		2.4	2.6	2
Isoleucine	% protein	4.4		4.3	4.6	2
Leucine	% protein	7.7		7.5	7.8	2
Lysine	% protein	3.3		3.0	3.6	2
Methionine	% protein	2.1		2.1	2.1	2
Phenylalanine	% protein	3.8		3.7	3.9	2
Threonine	% protein	4.0		3.8	4.1	2
Tryptophan	% protein	1.3		1.3	1.3	2
Valine	% protein	5.5		5.4	5.7	2

Secondary metabolites	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Tannins (eq. tannic acid)	g/kg DM	50.6		35.1	66.1	2

The asterisk * indicates that the average value was obtained by an equation.

References

Dei et al., 2008

Last updated on 24/10/2012 00:43:19

Sheanut kernels

Main analysis	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Dry matter	% as fed	96.6				1
Crude protein	% DM	8.6				1
Crude fibre	% DM	8.0				1
Ether extract	% DM	50.2				1
Ash	% DM	3.5				1
Gross energy	MJ/kg DM	28.5					*

Minerals	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Calcium	g/kg DM	1.3				1
Phosphorus	g/kg DM	1.0				1
Potassium	g/kg DM	10.8				1
Magnesium	g/kg DM	1.1				1

The asterisk * indicates that the average value was obtained by an equation.

References

CIRAD, 1991

Last updated on 24/10/2012 00:43:19

Sheanut leaves

Main analysis	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Dry matter	% as fed	24.7				1
Crude protein	% DM	7.9	2.0	4.3	11.3	10
Crude fibre	% DM	23.4	6.1	10.9	31.1	10
NDF	% DM	52.2	3.5	48.0	57.3	7
ADF	% DM	39.3	3.3	33.2	43.3	7
Lignin	% DM	20.2	4.9	14.7	30.2	7
Ether extract	% DM	5.6	2.3	1.4	8.2	10
Ash	% DM	6.3	1.8	4.6	10.6	10
Gross energy	MJ/kg DM	18.8					*

Minerals	Unit	Avg	SD	Min	Max	Nb
Calcium	g/kg DM	8.4	7.4	1.3	23.2	8
Phosphorus	g/kg DM	1.1	0.5	0.4	1.6	8
Potassium	g/kg DM	12.0	4.2	5.5	16.9	8
Sodium	g/kg DM	0.0				1
Magnesium	g/kg DM	2.9	1.8	0.8	6.1	8

The asterisk * indicates that the average value was obtained by an equation.

References

CIRAD, 1991

Last updated on 24/10/2012 00:43:19

References

Alemede, I. C.; Ogunbajo, S.; Adebija, O. V., 2011. Effect of feeding varying levels of sheanut (Vitellaria Paradoxa) meal on carcass characteristics of weaner rabbits (Oryctolagus Cuniculus). J. Agricult. Forest. Social Sci., 9 (2): 147-153
Alemede, I. C.; Ogunbajo, S.; Oghenekowho, D., 2012. Effect of varying levels of inclusion of shea nut (Vitellaria paradoxa) meal on the reproductive performanceand mortality rate of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).. J. Agricult. Forest. Social Sci., 10 (1): 294-300
Alemede, I. C.; Ogunbajo, S. A.; Akinbiyi, O. J., 2013. Effect of feeding varying levels of sheanut meal (Vitellaria paradoxa) on haematological parameters, diseases andmortality of weaner rabbits (Oryctolagus cunniculus). Agric. Biol. J. North Ame, 4 (1): 78-83
Annongu, A. A. ; Meulen, U. ter; Atteh, J. O., 1996. Response of broilers to dietary treated and untreated shea butter cake supplemented with molasses. Landbauforschung Volkenrode, Sonderheft, 169: 295-300
Ansah, T.; Mensah, J.; Bayong, P.; Deku, G.; Karikari, P. K., 2011. Effect of dietary shea nut cake on the growth and blood parameters of rabbits. Anim. Prod Res. Adv., 7 (1);: 81-86
Atuahene, C. C. ; Donkoh, A. ; Asante, F., 1998. Value of sheanut cake as a dietary ingredient for broiler chickens. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol., 72: 133-142
Boffa, J. M. ; Taonda S. J. B. ; Dickey J. B. ; Knudson D. M., 2000. Field-scale influence of karité (Vitellaria paradoxa) on sorghum production in the Sudan zone of Burkina Faso. Agroforestry Systems, 49 (2): 153-175
Cirad, 2008. Laboratory data 1993-2008. CIRAD
Davrieux, F. ; Allal, F. ; Piombo, G. ; Kelly, B. ; Okulo, J. B. ; Thiam, M. ; Diallo, O. B. ; Bouvet, J. M., 2010. Near infrared spectroscopy for high-throughput characterization of shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) nut fat profiles. J. Agric. Food Chem., 58 (13): 7811–7819
Dei, H. K. ; Rose, S. P. ; Mackenzie, A. M., 2006. Apparent metabolisable energy and digestibility of shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) fat, cocoa (Theobroma cacao) fat and soybean oil in broiler chicks.. Br. Poult. Sci., 47 (5): 607-612
Dei, H. K. ; Pobi, N. O, Otchere, E. O., 2006. Growth response of broiler chickens fed varying levels of sheanut cake. Ghana J. Agric. Sci., 39 (2): 203-208
Dei, H. K. ; Rose, S. P. ; Mackenzie, A. M., 2007. Shea nut (Vitellaria paradoxa) meal as a feed ingredient for poultry. Poult. Sci., 63 (4): 611-624
Dei, H. K. ; Rose, S. P. ; Mackenzie, A. M., 2008. Effects of fungal (Aspergillus niger or Ceriporiopsis subvermispora) fermentation on the nutritive value of shea nut (Vitellaria paradoxa) meal for broiler chicks. Br. Poult. Sci., 49 (3): 360-367
Dei, H. K. ; Rose, S. P. ; Mackenzie, A. M. ; Pirgozliev, V., 2008. Metabolizable energy in different shea nut (Vitellaria paradoxa) meal samples for broiler chickens. Poult. Sci., 87 (4): 694-699
Dei, H. K. ; Rose, S. P. ; Mackenzie, A. M. ; Amarowicz, R., 2008. Growth performance of broiler chickens fed diets containing shea nut (Vitellaria paradoxa, Gaertn.) meal fermented with Aspergillus niger. Poult. Sci., 87: 1773-1778
Gasnier, A., 1943. Utilisation du tourteau de karité désamertumé par le lapin. C.r. Acad. agr. France, 29: 249-250
Gidenne, T., 2015. Dietary fibres in the nutrition of the growing rabbit and recommendations to preserve digestive health: a review. Animal, 9 (2): 227-242
Göhl, B., 1982. Les aliments du bétail sous les tropiques. FAO, Division de Production et Santé Animale, Roma, Italy
Idahor K. O.; Yakubu A.; Sokunbi O. A.; Osaiyuwu O. H.; Jibrin M.; Yakubu A. F.; Bello A. Y.; Musa Y.; Musa A., 2016. Proximate composition of shea nut meal, its inclusion in grower rabbit diets and elicited physiological responses. Proc. 11th World Rabbit Congr. Qindao (China) - June 15-18, 411-414
Idahor, K. O.; Adua, M. M.; Osayande, U. D.; Kaye, J.; Igoche, L. E.; Osaiyuwu, O. H., Sokunbi, O. A. , 2018. Haematological indices, feed and water intake of grower rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) fed graded levels of sheabutter (Vitellaria paradoxa cf gaertn.) nut meal. Int. J. Res. Studies Biosci., 6 (3): 11-17
Idahor, K. O.; Osayande, U. D.; Sokunbi, O. A.; Osaiyuwu, O. H.; Adua, M. M.; Igoche, L. E.; Kaye, J., 2018. Reproduction performance, serum biochemical and growth indices of grower rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) fed sheabutter (Vitellaria paradoxa CF Gaertn.) nut meal. Int. J. Res. Studies Zool., 4 (1): 22-28
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Lebas, F., 2004. Reflections on rabbit nutrition with a special emphasis on feed ingredients utilization. Proceedings of the 8th World Rabbit Congress, September 7-10, 2004, Puebla, Mexico 2004
Lebas, F., 2016. Estimation of digestible energy content and protein digestibility of raw materials by the rabbit with a system of equations. Proc. 11th World Rabbit Congress, Qindao (China), 15-18 June 2016: 293-298
Leroy, A. M. ; Gasnier, A., 1943. Le karité dans l'alimentation des ovins. C.r. Acad. agr. France, 29: 245
Morgan, D. E. ; Trinder, H., 1980. The composition and nutritional value of some tropical and sub-tropical by-products. In: By-products and wastes in animal feeding. Occasional publication no 3 - British Society of Animal Production - Edited By Dr E. R. Orskov 91-111 (NUT 545)
Nikiema, A. ; Umali, B. E., 2007. Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertn.. Record from Protabase. Van der Vossen, H.A.M. & Mkamilo, G.S. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands
Pousga, S. ; Boly, H. ; Lindberg, J. E. ; Ogle, B., 2007. Evaluation of traditional sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) beer residue, shea nut (Vitellaria paradoxa) cake and cotton seed (Gossypum Spp) cake for poultry in Burkina Faso: availability and amino-acid digestibility. Int. J. Poult. Sci., 6 (9): 666-672
Reddy, Y. R. ; Rao, K. S. ; Sudhakar, K. ; Gupta, D. R. ; Prakash, M. G., 2011. Nutrient utilization of Azolla and Sheanut cake in Nellore sheep under different management systems. Indian J. Small Rumin., 17 (1): 59-63
Rhule, S. W. A., 1999. Performance of pigs on diets containing detoxified sheanut cake. Trop. Anim. Health Prod., 31 (1): 45-53
Shaahu, D. T.; Dzungwe, E. N.; Ahemen, T.; Tuleun, C. D., 2020. Replacement value of shea nut meal for dietary maize on growth performance and economics of production of rabbits. Nigerian J. Anim. Prod., 47 (3): 132-139
Thiéry, J. P., 1943. Le tourteau de karité dans l'alimentation du porc. C.r. Acad. agr. France, 29: 252-254
USDA, 2009. GRIN - Germplasm Resources Information Network. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland
Waters, C. J. ; Kitcherside, M. A. ; Webster, A. J. F., 1992. Problems associated with estimating the digestibility of undegraded dietary nitrogen from acid-detergent insoluble nitrogen. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol., 279-291
Yusuf, A. M.; Olafadehan, O. A.; Garba, M. H, 2010. Evaluation of the feeding potentials of Vitellaria paradoxa, Nauclea latifolia and Terminalia macroptera foliage as supplements to concentrate feed for grower rabbits. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 4 (3), 429-433.

Datasheet citation

Heuzé V., Tran G., Lebas F., 2021. Sheanut (Vitellaria paradoxa). Feedipedia, a programme by INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://feedipedia.org/node/51 Last updated on February 8, 2021, 14:28

English correction by Tim Smith (Animal Science consultant) and Hélène Thiollet (AFZ)

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Sheanut (Vitellaria paradoxa)