Mahua Butter

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Description : Madhuca longifolia is an Indian tropical tree found largely in the central and north Indian plains and forests. It belongs to the family Sapotaceae.

This tree is found in central parts of India and sub mountainous parts of the Himalayan region. The barks, flowers, leaves as well as the seeds of the plant are used in medicinal drugs.

Madhuca Indica is also known as butter tree. This large deciduous tree usually is 20 meters in height and has a large top. The leaves are thick and small. The musk scented flowers are fleshy and dull near the end of the branches. The fruits of the plant are also fleshy and are greenish brown in color with shiny seeds.

The tree of the Madhuca Indica is an important source of food for tribes in central as well as western India. The plant is also used in alcohol, syrups and vinegars. The oil of the plant is also an additive in the manufacturing of soaps.

MEDICINAL USE:

    •  For expelling worms from the body.
    • Cures biliousness or congestion of the liver.
    • Cures ulcers and leprosy and is used for fractures.
    • Helps in rheumatism.
    • Helps in curing heart diseases and ear complaints.
    • Cures diseases of the blood, bronchitis and tuberculosis.
    • Promotes the removal of mucous secretions from the bronchial tubes.
    • Helps in increasing the secretion of milk in lactating mothers.
    • Helps in soothing the alimentary tract and relieving inflammation and is also used for coughs.
    • Cures orchitis or the inflammation of the testes.
  • Cures piles and is good for skin diseases.

Benefits : Mowrah butter has antioxidant and emollient properties and is used to alleviate skin diseases, rheumatism and headache. It is also a natural laxative and considered to be a useful supplement to mitigate constipation, piles and haemorrhoids. It’s used in detoxifying therapies as an emetic. Tribal folk also harness it as an illuminant and hair fixer. Home made liquor produced from the flowers is largely colourless, with a whitish tinge and isn’t very strong. Mowrah flowers are also used to manufacture jam, which is being made by tribal cooperatives in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. The leaves of Madhuca indica (M. longifolia) are fed on by the moth Antheraea paphia, which produces tassar silk (tussah), a form of wild silk of commercial importance in India.

Food Additives

Food Additives

mahua Butter – Madhuca Latifolia Seed Butter

Mahua Butter is obtained from the fruit of the Indian tree (Madhuca Latifolia), from its seed kernels the butter is extracted and further processed and refined. The Butter melts immediately upon contact with the skin. mahua Butter prevents drying of the skin and may hinder the development of wrinkle, it reduces degeneration of skin cells and restores skin flexibility.

The amount of neutral lipids in the crude mahua fat was the highest (ca. 95.4% of total lipids), followed by glycolipids and phospholipids, respectively. Oleic, stearic, palmitic, and linoleic were the major fatty acids in mahua fat and its’ lipid classes. The ratio of unsaturates to saturates was higher in the neutral lipid subclasses than in the polar lipid fractions.

Specification for Mahua Butter
Physical Properties
S. NoParameterLimitsAOCS Method
1AppearanceSoft Semi Solid Fat
2OdourSlight Fatty Odour
3TasteBland
4Colour (Lovibond 5-1/4 scale)Max 4.0 RedCc 13b – 45
5Specific Gravity0.856 to 0.870Cc 10b-25
6Slip Melting Point31 – 39 deg CCc 3-25
7Moisture & Volaitle Matter0.5% MaxCa 2c-25
Chemical Properties
S. NoParameterLimitsAOCS Method
1Free Fatty Acid as Oleic0.5 % maxCa 5a-40
2Peroxide value (meq / kg)1.0 MaxJa 8-87
3Iodine Value50 – 70Cd 1c-85
4Saponification Value187 – 196Tl 1a-64
5Unsaponifable Matter1.0% -3.0%MaxCa 6a-40
6Fatty Acid Composition in%
7Palmitic                       C16:026  –  30
8Margar                         C17:0
9Stearic                         C18:023  –  27
10Oleic                           C18:141 –  51
11Linoleic                        C18:29  –  13
12Aracid                         C20:01  –  4
Microbiological Characteristics
S. NoMicro-organismMaximumAOCS Method
1Aerobic Plate Count1000 cfu per gmAOAC  990.12
2Yeast & Mold50 cfu  / gmBAM 19.01-19.03
3Total ColiformsNegativeAOAC 991.14
4E. ColiNegativeAOAC 991.14
5SalmonellaNegativeBAM 7.01-7.17
6C.P.StaphylococcusNegativeBAM 14.01 – 14.03