Variation in the Intestinal Gas‐Forming Sugars in Peanut Cultivars1

Abstract

The interaction of intestinal flora with low molecular weight carbohydrates, especially raffinose and stachyose, has been shown to be the primary factor for the flatulence and uncomfortable feeling often experienced by human beings after consuming products containing legume seed meal. There is conflicting evidence, however, concerning the gas‐producing properties of the peanut Arachis hypogaea L.Seed of 16 cultivars of peanuts were analyzed for protein, oil, total sugar, and individual sugar content. The range in values for protein, oil, total sugar, and sucrose were 27.2 to 33.2, 45.5 to 51.5, 3.2 to 6.4, and 2.7 to 5.6 g per 100 g seed, respectively. Except for ‘Virginia 56R’ and ‘Florigiant,’ the cultivars had raffinose contents of 0.1 g or less per 100 g seed. The cultivars ‘Argentine,’ ‘Early Runner,’ ‘Spancross,’ ‘Tifspan,’ and ‘Virginia Bunch 67’ had stachyose contents of less than 0.1 g per 100 g seed. Based on chemical analyses, these cultivars may be nongas producers. Florigiant, ‘Florunner,’ ‘N.C. 2,’ ‘N.C. 5,’ ‘N.C. 17,’ ‘Starr,’ Virginia 56R, and ‘Virginia 61R’ with 0.4 or 0.5 g stachyose per 100 g seed may be gas producers.