Butter Phulwara Uses

BUTTER Phulwara gives stable emulsions due to the uniform

Botanical Description triglyceride composition with a high oxidative stability. It may be
Botanical Name: Madhuca butyracea Roxb.
used as an ingredient in skin care products, massage creams,
Family: Sapotaceae
Common Name: Nepalese Butter Tree make-up, Soap and sun care products.
Flowering Period: October-November at the age of 8-10 years.
Parts Used: Seed Kernel
Habitat/Distribution in Nepal: throughout Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim
and north Bengal 400-1500 meters.

Chemical Constituents
It contains high contents of C16:0 and C18:1 fatty Acids, respec-
tively. Phulwara butter may be a potential source of palmitic acid
for the pharmaceutical industry.

Composition of fatty acids

Phulwara oil contains 56.6% palmitic acid and 3.6% stearic acid,
both of which are saturated fatty acids.It also contains 36.0%
oleic acid along with 3.8% linoleic acid, both of which are
unsaturated fatty acids. Oleic acid is a mono-unsaturated fatty
acid and has one double bond at the 9th carbon of its hydrocar-
bon chain. Linoleic acid has two double bonds in the
hydrocarbon chain of the acid.

Table-physical and chemical characters of fat

Fatty Acid Percentage
Fatty Acid (C16:0)56.6
Stearic acid (C18:0)3.6
Oleic acid (C18:1) 36.0
Linoleic acid (C18:2)3.8

Plant Description
It is a medium size tree with a straight trunk of 15 to 22 meters in
height and a girth of 1.5 to 1.8 meters. The bark is dark grey or
brown and 1.3 cm thick. Leaves are 20 to 35 cm long and 9-18
cm wide, crowded at the end of branches. The fruit is a berry, 2 to
4.5 cm long, bright green or blackish, shinning with a thick soft
pericarp. The fruit is oval in shape and green in color with three
seeds that turn juicy and grey after ripening. The exterior of the
fruit is thick, soft, and rich with glucose and fragrance. It contains
black and sparkling seeds of 1.5 to 2 cm in length, which have
almond shaped white colored kernels inside. The seed coat is thin
to thick and woody to crusty.