Trichilia

Name

Botanical: Trichilia emetica
Family: Meliaceae
Common: Mafura butter, Natal Mahogany, Cape Mahogany, Christmas bells

 

Description

Trichilia emetica is a beautiful, evergreen, slow growing hardwood that can grow up to 30m. It has smooth red-brown bark, dark glossy leaves and bears clusters of fragrant creamy- yellow flowers. The hanging foliage forms a rounded crown and creates dense, dark shade.

Fruit

The flowers form pear-shaped red-brown fruit capsules which dry and split into three segments revealing a bunch of vivid red seeds; in fact the Greek name Trichilia means, ‘in three parts’. These soft seeds are rich in oil. Each tree bears a large number of seeds, with the average yield per tree reaching nearly 20 litres of oil.

Distribution

The Trichilia emetica tree is found across Southern Africa in low altitude, frost-free areas where rich alluvial soils are present, mainly along rivers and the coast.

Traditional uses

The tree’s leaves, bark and seeds have a wide variety of traditional medicinal uses such as treatment of stomach and intestinal ailments, as an emetic, purgative and the oil is used for rheumatism treatment. In particular the oil is easily extracted by immersing the seeds in hot water, soaking them for several hours and then crushing the seeds. This pressing process releases a solid, yellow fatty butter (Mafura butter) with a high melting point. The oil is a central part of the Southern African’s domestic life, a testimony to it’s highly effective cosmetic and healing properties: the seed oil forms the basis for a leprosy remedy, is used as a cure for rheumatism and to heal wounds. The conditioning and colouring properties of Mafura butter have made it a popular haircare product, as well as being used on the skin to nourish and revitalise.

Known properties

The pressed seeds yield an oil which forms a solid “butter” at room temperature, and melts at 30°C. The oil content of the kernel, between 55-65%, is much higher than most commercially grown oilseeds. The high proportion of mono-unsaturated Oleic acid provides good stability. In addition, the oil is rich in essential fatty acids, which the body can not naturally synthesise but are vital in maintaining health. The oil has also been shown to have some antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity due to the presence of a number of limonoids such as Trichilin A.

Suggested applications

• Oil for soap-making
• Hair conditioner and colourant
• Skin butter to nourish and revitalise
• Furniture polish

For more information, contact info@phytotradeafrica.com