Nutritional Composition of Genetically Modified Peanut Varieties

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), an economically important crop throughout the world, is susceptible to many types of fungal pathogens. Genetic engineering offers great potential for developing peanut cultivars resistant to a broad spectrum of pathogens that pose a recurring threat to peanut health. The main objective of this research project was to assess the “substantial equivalence” and nutritional safety of biotechnology derived peanut lines. The focus of this study was on genetically modified peanut (GMP) lines developed for growth in the southwestern United States. Three transgenic peanut lines, 188, 540, and 654, and the parent line Okrun were analyzed for their oil, protein, ash, moisture, total dietary fiber, mineral, and fatty acid compositions. Oil content of all the GMP lines was similar to that of the parent line. The GMP line 188 had significantly higher protein content than the parent line, Okrun. Although there were statistical differences in the fatty acid composition among some of the GMP lines and the parent line, the variations were not substantial. The proximate compositions of all peanut lines were within the range reported for traditional peanut varieties. This study indicates that, for the peanut lines studied, genetic modification did not cause substantial unintentional changes in peanut chemical composition, which might reduce the nutritional value of peanut.