Peanut improvement for human health

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• Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L., Fabaceae) is an energy-dense and nutritious food. Regular consumption of peanuts improves human health. Oil content and oil quality, which is determined by variation in oleic (O) and linoleic (L) fatty acids, are important seed quality traits in peanut. Aflatoxin (produced by fungus Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus) is a serious health problem, whereas peanut allergy is a potentially life-threatening and often lifelong food allergy. High O/L ratio increases shelf life of peanut products and, therefore, their marketability. Germplasm and advanced breeding lines with oil content as high as 55–60% and O/L ratio ranging from 7:1 to 40:1 are available for use in peanut breeding. Global warming has a significant impact on the nutritional quality of food crops. Identification of germplasm with stable seed quality traits will be a prerequisite to initiate quality breeding in peanut. Peanut cultivars with high oleate content, developed by conventional breeding and selection, are widely grown in the United States. Marker-aided backcross breeding has led to the development of ‘Tifguard High O/L’ peanut cultivar in the United States. Enough genetic variation in seed iron and zinc content has been noted, but targeted breeding for these micronutrients in peanut is yet to begin. Peanut is devoid of β-carotene—a precursor of vitamin A. Using a cotyledon-based Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation system and the maize psyI gene driven by the At oleosin promoter, β-carotene-rich transgenic peanuts have been achieved. Transgenic peanuts with the antifungal gene cpo-p inhibited A. flavus hyphal growth or those containing the Rchit gene have shown a broader spectrum of resistance against fungal infection including A. flavus. Knocking out genes for the allergenic proteins, using targeting-induced local lesions in genomes (TILLING) or RNAi approaches, has shown promise to derive mutants or transgenic events lacking allergenic seed proteins, with no adverse effect on seed quality or viability. These genetic stocks when available to researchers may lead to breeding agronomically superior nutritionally enhanced peanut cultivars, which will be free from allergens and toxins.

Subject headings

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Bioteknologi med applikationer på växter och djur -- Växtbioteknologi (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agricultural Biotechnology -- Plant Biotechnology (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Lantbruksvetenskap, skogsbruk och fiske -- Jordbruksvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries -- Agricultural Science (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Bioteknologi med applikationer på växter och djur -- Genetik och förädling inom lantbruksvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agricultural Biotechnology -- Genetics and Breeding in Agricultural Sciences (hsv//eng)

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