Adansoniadigitata is a majestic tree revered in Africa for its medicinal and nutritional value. The plant parts are used to various diseases such as diarrhoea, malaria and microbial infections. It is reported that biobab is an excellent anti-oxidant due to the vitamin C contentwhich is seven to ten times higher than the vitamin C content of oranges. Baobab has numerous biological properties including antimicrobial, antiviral,anti-oxidant and antiinflammatory activities amongst others. Phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of flavonoids, phytosterols,amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. The seeds are a source ofsignificant quantities of lysine, thiamine, calcium and iron. Baobab is animportant commodity which is integral to the livelihood of rural communities. In addition, the global demand for baobab raw material (e.g. seedoil, fruit pulp) by the food and beverage, nutraceutical and cosmetic industries has increased dramatically in recent years thereby increasing thecommercial value and importance of this coveted African tree. In the past few years, there has been an increased demand for non-timber forestproducts (NTFPs), specifically baobab seed oil for inclusion in cosmetic formulations due to its high fatty acid composition. This review summarisesthe botanical aspects, extraction of plant ash product using different solvent, biological properties of extracted crudes.
