Chemical and Physico-Chemical Properties of Peanut Oil

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Chemical And Physico-Chemical Properties of Peanut Oil Rende, (2007), reports that peanuts are grown worldwide in the tropics and temperate zones primarily as an oilseed crop. Peanut seeds are rich in oil, naturally containing from 47 to 50%. They also make an important contribution to the diet in many countries, being a good source of protein, lipids and fatty acids for human nutrition. Peanut oil is mainly composed of triglycerides and contains small quantities of free fatty acids, diacylglycerols, phosphatides, pigments, flavor compounds and sterols. The saponifiable fraction of peanut oil includes triglycerides, free fatty acids, diacylglycerols and phospholipids. The unsaponifiable fraction is mainly composed of sterols, triterpenic alcohols, tocopherols, tocotrienols, pigments, aliphatic compounds, phenolic compounds and volatile compounds. The major fatty acids present as glycerides in peanut oils are palmitic (c16:0), oleic (c18:1) and linoleic (c18:2) acids that are generally present as triacylglycerols (tgs). in particular the major triacylglycerols are: ool (17%), plo (13%), llo (12%), ooo (10%), poo (8%), (p=palmitic, o=oleic, s=stearic, and l=linoleic acids). also free fatty acids and diacylglycerols, also called diglycerides, are present in raw peanut oil. crude oil can have a free fatty acids content as low as 0.3%, but most of the commercial oil is in the range 0.5-1.5%. free fatty acids and diglycerides vary considerably according to peanut maturity. Phospholipids in peanuts are the major constituents of cell membranes, and they have a high degree of unsaturation. The major phospholipids in conventional peanut oils are phosphatidylcholine (pc: 38.3-66.4%), phosphatidic acid (pa:2.2-11.8%), phosphatidylethanolamine (pe: 13.3-21.9%), phosphatidylinositol (pi:15.7-30.9), and phosphatidylglycerol (pg: nonreported up to 2.5%). peanuts and its

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