Abstract 2027 Fatty Acid Composition of Peanuts With Different Solvents and Methods Of Extraction

Peanuts, Arachis hypogaea, are an important food source and crop across the world. One of the ways researchers study peanuts is by analyzing the fatty acid content (FAC) present. Knowing the FAC is beneficial because around 50% of the fat in peanuts is monounsaturated fat, the "good fat" that lowers blood cholesterol and provides health benefits to consumers. One way to extract peanut oil is by using solvents. Since multiple methods of extraction and solvents could be used, this project aims to answer the question, "Is the fatty acid composition in peanut oil affected by the solvent and method of extraction?" We will compare FAC determined by gas chromatography (GC) from samples extracted with two different solvents, hexane and dichloromethane (DCM), and two different methods, vacuum filtration and Soxhlet extraction. The current hypothesis is that different solvents and extraction methods will produce variable amounts of total oil and FAC. This project will follow the Biochemical Research Lab (BRL) "Oil Content- Raw Nut Procedure" protocol with triplicate peanut samples as written and repeat the procedure with triplicate samples, replacing the DCM with hexane. Once the oil has been extracted, the BRL "Sample Methylation for Fatty Acid Content (FAC) or Oleic:Linoleic (O:L) Ratio Analysis Protocol" will be applied to all samples to prepare them for GC analysis. In addition, previously collected samples run with DCM or hexane and varied run times following the BRL "Oil Content by Soxhlet- Peanut Procedure" will also be methylated and analyzed using GC. The collected data will include the percent oil content and the samples' FAC and O:L ratios. This data will be used to determine if the method of extraction and solvent used affect the total oil and FAC. Special thanks to the Welch Foundation and the Lubbock Christian University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry for funding.