Safety of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L): cytogenotoxic studies and chemical composition analysis

SABINI M. C.; MENIS CANDELA F.; PERALTA M.; QUIROGA P. L.; MAÑAS F.; GIORDANO W.; SORIA E.

Congreso; IV REUNIÓN CONJUNTA DE SOCIEDADES DE BIOLOGÍA DE LA REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA; 2020

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L) is an economically important legume used for direct consumption as well as for manufacturing numerous food products. Argentina is one of the major peanut producers in the world and about 90% of its crop is produced in the province of Córdoba. This species also has numerous medicinal properties such as antioxidant, antiviral, antitumor. The objective was to determine the toxicity and genotoxicity in vivo of the peanut seed and analyze its chemical composition. A peanut seed ethanolic extract (SEE) was obtained by a simple alcoholic extraction method. A chemical analysis was carried out: the content of total phenols was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method and the fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography; lipids were extracted with the Folch method (1957) and methylated with sodium methoxide. The separation, quantification, and identification of total FA methyl ester resultants were performed using a capillary column (20 m length x 250 mm id x 0.25 mm film tickness, SUPELCO) of polyethylene glycol in a Clarus500 GC and all fatty acids were identified using a commercial standard (Nu-check). All values were expressed as the total percentage area. On the other hand, in vivo cytogenotoxic studies were carried out: Balb/c mice (20 g) in groups of 6 animals (3 males and 3 females) were formed and inoculated with different concentrations of SEE (500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg b.w.) diluted in physiological solution and dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO). A negative control group (25 μl of DMSO in 775 μl of PS) and a positive control (cyclophosphamide 20 mg/kg b.w.) were included. At 24 h, mice were sacrificed by decapitation and, bone marrow samples were taken from the femur for the micronucleus test and blood for comet assay. The chemical analysis of SEE indicated a content of total phenols of 15.05 ± 0.06 mg of GAE/g of dry extract. Linoleic acid (58.84%), oleic acid (11.31%), and palmitic acid (8.37%) were major compounds of SEE. In vivo cytogenotoxic studies showed that SEE was not genotoxic at the concentrations evaluated by the micronucleus and comet assays. In relation to the toxic capacity, the toxicity index values revealed non-significant differences (p>0.05) between the negative control system and the treatments of and SEE (500 and 1000 mg/kg), with the exception of the highest concentrations of the extract (2000 mg/kg, p=0.0003), which revealed some toxicity. In conclusion, peanut consumption is safe at concentrations recommended for healthy uses, such as nutrition, and phytomedicine.