Chapter 4
Groundnut (Peanut) (Arachis hypogaea)
Faiza Syed, Sania Arif, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Nauman Khalid
Abstract Arachis hypogaea, known as the groundnut or peanut, is an annual
herbaceous legume grown in tropical and temperate areas of the world. Peanuts
are a composite food consisting of a wide variety of nutrients, such as carbohydrates,
proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and a good dose of fiber. Bioactive compounds
have also been isolated from peanuts that include flavonoids, phytosterols, amino
acids, and stilbenes. Large-scale clinical studies have shown that regular peanut
consumption has a positive effect on cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and
Alzheimer’s. These bioactive compounds also have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,
anticancer, and antitumor activities. Potential health concerns regarding peanuts
include allergies and contamination with aflatoxins. Peanuts are widely used in the
food industry for the production of flour, protein concentrates and isolates, confectionaries, oils, and beverages.
Keywords Peanuts · Groundnut · Phytochemicals · Flavonoids · Health benefits
F. Syed
Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam, University, Islamabad, Pakistan
S. Arif
Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
I. Ahmed
National Culture Collection Center of Pakistan (NCCP), Bioresources Conservation Institute
(BCI), National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan
N. Khalid (*)
School of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Management and Technology, Lahore,
Pakistan
e-mail: nauman.khalid@umt.edu.pk
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
B. Tanwar, A. Goyal (eds.), Oilseeds: Health Attributes and Food Applications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4194-0_4
93
Groundnut (Peanut) (Arachis hypogaea)
Faiza Syed, Sania Arif, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Nauman Khalid
Abstract Arachis hypogaea, known as the groundnut or peanut, is an annual
herbaceous legume grown in tropical and temperate areas of the world. Peanuts
are a composite food consisting of a wide variety of nutrients, such as carbohydrates,
proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and a good dose of fiber. Bioactive compounds
have also been isolated from peanuts that include flavonoids, phytosterols, amino
acids, and stilbenes. Large-scale clinical studies have shown that regular peanut
consumption has a positive effect on cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and
Alzheimer’s. These bioactive compounds also have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,
anticancer, and antitumor activities. Potential health concerns regarding peanuts
include allergies and contamination with aflatoxins. Peanuts are widely used in the
food industry for the production of flour, protein concentrates and isolates, confectionaries, oils, and beverages.
Keywords Peanuts · Groundnut · Phytochemicals · Flavonoids · Health benefits
F. Syed
Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam, University, Islamabad, Pakistan
S. Arif
Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
I. Ahmed
National Culture Collection Center of Pakistan (NCCP), Bioresources Conservation Institute
(BCI), National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan
N. Khalid (*)
School of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Management and Technology, Lahore,
Pakistan
e-mail: nauman.khalid@umt.edu.pk
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
B. Tanwar, A. Goyal (eds.), Oilseeds: Health Attributes and Food Applications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4194-0_4
93