Ahmedou Bamba Koueimel Fall

Shea butter is a fat produced from the seeds of Vitellaria paradoxa (Sapotaceae). It can exist under different qualities which depend on several factors such as the region of origin, the method of production, treatments performed, etc. Its use as ointment excipient  was the subject of several work that has raised issues that need further discussion. In this study, certain aspects relating to the adequacy between the main properties required for the ointment excipients and the characteristics of the different qualities of shea butter were analyzed. The data collected showed that for some properties, namely organoleptic characteristics such as color and odor, it may be necessary to perform discoloration or deodorization operations to ensure the comfort of the user. Similarly, it has sometimes been necessary to add peanut oil to the butter to reduce its consistency in order to facilitate its spreading. Concerning the release of the active ingredients, the qualities of the butter seem to have no influence because whatever the butter used, the results obtained were satisfactory. As regards and long-term stability, the composition could have a great influence, but the refined shea butter obtained by chemical extraction seems more apt to act as an excipient. However, for such a product, it is still necessary to standardize industrial procedures for obtaining it, with a view to propose a standard shea butter, specifically for use as ointment excipient. Keywords: Refined shea butter, unrefined shea butter, excipient for topical forms, ointment

Unrefined shea butter is a vegetable fat that can be used for its anti-inflammatory properties related to its unsaponifiable fraction but also as excipient for various forms. In this study, the aim was to see how to take advantage of this dual status in order to improve the anti-inflammatory activity of shea butter through nanotechnology. In other words, it was to test the hypothesis of an improvement of the anti-inflammatory activity of unrefined shea butter when used in the form of nanoparticles  and gel / nanoparticle system. The nanoparticles were prepared by a phase inversion method and had an average size of 400 nm with a poly dispersion index of 0.416, a zeta potential between -5 and -7mV and a pH around 5.3-5.4. The gel / nanoparticle complex was obtained by mixing the nanoparticles with a gel based on polyethylene glycol, water and HydroxyPropyl Methylcellulose. The mouse ear edema test was implemented for the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity and the results showed a clear improvement of the latter. Indeed, the ratios (R) between the percentage inhibition of the anti-inflammatory activity (I) and the real percentage of shea butter used in the various preparations are respectively: crude shea butter (I = 62.52%; R = 0.62), nanoparticles (I = 60.80%, R = 1.05) and gel / nanoparticle complex system (I = 52.41, R = 6.38) (for the latter, the proportion of nanoparticles in the complex system was 4/24). Keywords: Shea butter, phase inversion, lipid, nanoparticles, nanoparticle/gel complex, anti-inflammatory activity