Trichilia Oil
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 300C. 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
Structure of Trichilin A
Trichilia oil has been shown to have free radical scavenging properties higher than other oils on the market.
Technical Specifications
| INCI name: |
Trichilia emetica butter |
CAS No |
68956-68-3 |
EINECS No |
273-313-5 |
Description: |
Brownish oil, which is semi-solid at room temperature |
Specific gravity: |
0.905 |
Iodine value gI2/100g |
60-80 |
Saponification value mgKOH/g |
190-210 |
Acid value mg KOH/g |
5max |
Peroxide value mEq O2/Kg |
15max |
Fatty acid composition
Parameter |
Range |
|---|---|
16:0 palmitic % |
30-40 |
18:0 stearic % |
1.5-4.0 |
18:1 oleic % |
45.0-55.0 |
18:2 linoleic % |
8.0-13.0 |
18:3 -linolenic % |
<1.5 |
MANUFACTURING PROCESS: |
Cold pressed (T<60°C) - no solvents or chemicals used. |
|
Decanted to separate fines. |
STORAGE : |
keep away from light, heat (T<20°C) and in a dry place. |
PACKAGING : |
5, 25 litre and 200 kg wide mouth drums. |
Suggested applications
- Oil for soap-making
- Hair conditioner and colourant
- Skin butter to nourish and revitalise.
- Furniture polish
Selected references
Engelter, C. and Wehmeyer, A. S. (1970) Fatty acid composition of oils of some edible seeds of wild plants. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 18 (1): 25-26.
Fupi, V. W. K. and Mork, P. C. (1982) Mafura Nut Oil and Meal: Processing and Purification. Journal of American Oil Chemist's Society, 59 (2): 94-98.
Grundy, I. M. and Campbell, B. M. (1993) Potential production and utilisation of oil from Trichilia spp. (Meliaceae). Economic Botany, 47 (2): 148-153.
International Programs Washington State University led research group (2003) An industry and market study on six plants products in southern Africa: Trichilia emetica – Natal mahogany, Funded by US Department of Agriculture & US Agency for International Development, under contract #58-3148-2-032.
Jamieson, 1916. Examination of the bark and seed oil of Trichilia emetica. South African Journal of Science 13: 496- 498.
Manjengwa, J. M., King, A.S. (1999) Feasibility and potential of Kigelia africana and Trichilia emetica fruit production in Zimbabwe, WWF SARPO, Project paper no. 99/01.
SEPASAL (2004) Trichilia emetica Vahl, Trichilia emetica Vahl subsp.emetica, Trichilia emetica Vahl subsp. suberosa J.J. de Wilde Kew Gardens, http://www.kew.org/ceb/sepasal/internet/. 01/06/04.
Taylor, 1984. The chemistry of the liminoids from Meliaceae. IN Herz et al (eds) Progress in the chemistry of organic natural products 45 p2-92. Springer-Verlag, New York
Venter, F. and Venter, J. (1996) Natal Mahogany In Making the most of indigenous trees Briza publications, Pretoria, South Africa, pp. 154-155.
Wehmeyer, A. S. (1986) Edible wild plants of Southern African: Data on the nutrient contents of over 300 species.