Mono- and oligosaccharide composition of groundnut (Arachis hypogea)

Abstract

The mono- and oligosaccharide composition of two different varieties of groundnuts has been determined. 70% alcohol was used for the extraction of mono- and oligosaccharides. The total monosaccharides constituted 5.08 and 5.00%, and were identified as D-glucose (2.89 and 2.88%) and D-fructose (2.19 and 2.11%); while the total oligosaccharides amounted only to 3.23 and 3.38% of the flour solids, respectively for the two varieties, and were identified as sucrose, 0.91 and 0.95%; raffinose, 0.94 and 1.06%; stachyose, 1.04 and 0.51%; and verbascoy, 0.2 and 0.38%. Final identification of the sugars was achieved by gas liquid chromatographic analysis as their trimethylsilyl derivatives. In addition, one of the varieties "Nambyquarae" (hybrid peanut) also contained ajugose, 0.48%. These groundnuts are unusual in that they contain a high proportion of free monosaccharides.