Peanut Oil - Arachis hypogaea
Peanut Oil - Arachis hypogaea
Family: Leguminosae, Fabaceae
Etymology
Also known as monkey nut, ground nut, groundpea, katchung and arachis oil. Hypo in the Greek for under and ge means the earth, describing the underground characteristics. Known as a peanut in the USA because of the pea shaped flower of the plant. Groundnut comes from the fact that the grows and develops underground.
The Plant and its Environment
It was not until 1814 that these nuts were pressed for their oil, although the plant had been previously cultivated for hundreds of years. It is native to S. America (chiefly Brazil) and W. Indies, but now is grown extensively throughout the world in tropical and sub-tropical areas, especially in the USA.
Africa, India and China. The slave traders used it as food for their prisoners on the South Atlantic voyages and introduced it to W. Africa in the early 16th century. Magellan took monkey nuts from Peru to the Moluccas and Philippines in 1519, where they spread to Japan, Indo China and Southern Asia.
The peanut plant is an annual true legume (rather than a nut) growing 25-59 cm (1-2 feet) tall. The pods are produced from small insignificant flowers an inch or two above ground, and after the yellow flowers have died off the stem bends to the soil and then-a remarkable thing happens
The young pod containing up to four seeds begins a rapid growth, forcing it under the soil where it remains until dug up after the nuts have matured, taking 3-4 months. Each plant produces 40 or more pods; an upright variety and a low spreading variety also exist. Note that this is a ground nut, in contradistinction to a tree nut.
The Oil
Peanut is the expressed oil of the seeds as a cheap substitute for almond oil, It has a distinctive odour and for massage is perhaps too 'oily'. it is prepared from the arachis nut known variously as earth nut, peanut, pig nut and monkey nut.
Method of Extraction
The oil is pressed from the nuts and the residue is a protein rich cake, which is a nutritious food for animals. About 42% of the decorticated nut is extractable as an edible oil.
Principal Constituents (Bruneton (1995)
Fatty Acids | Based on | Content - % |
Saturated Fatty Acid | stearic acid | 1.3-6.5 |
C18:0 | arachidic acid | 1-3 |
C20:0 | ||
C22:0 | behenic | 1-5 |
C24:0 | lignoceric acid | 0.5-3 |
Typical saturated fatty acid content | 17 | |
Monosaturated fatty acid |
||
C18:1 | oleic acid | 35-72 |
C20:1 | ecosenoic acid | 0.5-2.1 |
Typical monounsaturated fatty acid content | 63 | |
Poly unsaturated fatty acid | ||
C18:2 | linoleic acid | 19-43 |
C18:3 | linolenic acid | <0.6 |
Typical polyunsaturated fatty acid content | 20 |
Physical properties
Energy value Kcal/100ml 898
Vitamin and Mineral Content
Peanut oil is almost always refined to a high degree, and therefor any vitamin (eg vitamin E 0.2%) and mineral content is lost.
Therapeutic properties
Said to be effective in helping arthritis and rheumatism
Has properties similar to olive oil (Trease & Evans 1983)
Cosmetic Use
Used in the manufacture of soaps, shampoos, night creams, emoillients, brilliantines, and sunburn creams. Popular with pharmacists for use in the preparation of ointments because of its stability, relative cheapness and spreads easily. Used in soothing ointments because it does not absorb too quickly; used as a carrier (an oily excipient) for some substances (Bruneton 1995) eg vaccines.
Culinary Use
- Caution
Allergy to peanuts has increased steadily over the last two decades, and six occurences of fatal anaphylaxis in 1993 were reported in the UK due to peanuts; the Uk situation has been reviewd (Hourihane, Dean & Warner 1996 Ewan 1996) Ingestion can cause sensitization in young children, therefore this should be borne in mind for baby massage, and in the use of creams and lotions for nursing mothers.
- Reference: Carrier Oils: Len Price with Ian Smith & Shirley Price
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