The Current State of Knowledge of Shea Butter Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertner.) for Nutritional Value and Tree Improvement in West and Central Africa

Vitellaria paradoxa (C.F.Gaertn.) is a multi-purpose tree species distributed in narrow band across sub-Saharan Africa. The integrated into cropping and agroforestry systems as nutritional economic resource, which provides range of environmental services. Integration the land-use an essential source livelihoods income for local populations. potential shea butter derives from its edible products, also serve cosmetic pharmaceutical applications. To understand current state knowledge about V. paradoxa, this paper summarizes information ecology, population structure, genetic diversity species, considering compositional variation pulp kernels, management practices, efforts towards domestication. Despite great tree, there are some gaps understanding genetics species. This review presents up-to-date related to further domestication breeding purposes.