PDR for Herbal Medicines

576 /PEANUT PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES

axils. They blossom at sunrise and wilt in the same morning,

during which time they stretch from 5 to 20 cm and act

negatively phototropically downward. After pollination, a

meristem develops at the base of the ovary, from which the

fruit axis grows. The fruit only starts to grow when the stem

is 5 to 10 cm underground, where it grows horizontally. The

fruit is a 4 cm long by 1.5 cm thick closed pod with a

fibrous, reticulate-wrinkled wall and 1 to 4 large seeds with

no endosperm and a thin, red shell.

Leaves, Stem and Root: The peanut plant is an annual

herbaceous 30 to 70 cm high legume, with glabrous, double

pinnate leaves and a decumbent to upright stem.

Habitat: Peanuts were originally indigenous to tropical and

sub-tropical South America. Today, Arachis hypogaea is

cultivated in all tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide

except in the rain forests.

Production: Peanut oil is the fatty oil extracted from the

husked seeds of Arachis hypogaea by means of a "cold

press" method or by hexane extraction and refining.

Other Names: Arachis, Groundnuts, Monkey Nuts

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Fatty oil: chief fatty acids include oleic acid, linolic acid and

palmitin acid. Also present in small quantities are longer-

chained fatty acids such as eicosanoic acid and tetracosanoic

acid.

EFFECTS

The effect obtained when used as an enema for constipation

and in dermatology for dry skin, eczema and dandruff is

achieved primarily* from the drug's oiliness, although it has

been shown to contain lectines.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: Peanut oil is added to ointments and

medicinal oils, and applied rectally in rectal constipation. It

is also used in dermatology for crusting and scaling of the

scalp (with hair), baby care and dry skin. Other applications

include use as a bath additive for subacute and chronic

eczema and for atrophic eczema and ichthyosis.

The pharmaceutical and medical industries use peanut oil as
a vehicle for medication in external, enteral or parenteral
preparations; the cosmetics industry uses it in skin, sun and
massage oil. Domestically, it is used as a salad or cooking oil
that is said to lower blood cholesterol levels.

Indian Medicine: Peanut oil is used for constipation,
neuralgia and dislocated joints.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction

with the proper administration of designated therapeutic

dosages.

DOSAGE

Mode of Administration: As an enema, oil, bath additive and

medicinal base component.

Daily Dosage: As a rectal enema, use 130 ml of oil at body

temperature. For use in a bath, the recommended concentra-

tion is 4 ml per 10 liters of water. Adults should bathe for 15

to 20 minutes 2 to 3 times weekly. Children and babies

should bathe for a few minutes 2 to 3 times weekly.

Storage: Protect from light in well-sealed and, if possible,

fully filled containers. Oils from different deliveries should

not be stored together. Oils with a tocopherol content less

than 50 mg/100 mg do not store well.

LITERATURE

Adrian J, Jacquot R, Valeur Alimentaire de TArachide et ses

Derives, Maisonneuve et Larose, Paris 1968.

Avichezer D, Arnon R, Differential reactivities of the Arachis

hypogaea (peanut) and Vicia villosa B4 lectins with human

ovarian carcinoma cells grown either in vitro or in vivo

xenograft model. FEBS Lett, 395:103-8, 1996 Oct 21.

Boudreaux HB, Frampton VL, (1960) Nature 185:469.

Codex Alimentarius Commission, Alinorm 79/17, Report 10th

Session. Codex Committee on Fats and Oils, London 1987.

Eghafona NO, Immune responses following cocktails of

inactivated measles vaccine and Arachis hypogaea L.

(groundnut) or Cocos nucifera L. (coconut) oils adjuvant.

Vaccine, 14:1703-6, 1996 Dec.

Garcia GM, Stalker HT, Shroeder E, Kochert G, Identification

of RAPD SCAR and RFLP markers tighdy linked to nematode

resistance genes introgressed from Arachis cardenasii into

Arachis hypogaea. Genome, 39:836-45, 1996 Oct.

Hansel R, Keller K, Rimpler H, Schneider G (Hrsg.), Hagers

Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5. Aufl., Bde 4-6

(Drogen): Springer Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1992-

1994.

Further information in:

Bhagya S, Prakash V, Srinivasan KS, Effect of different

proteolytic enzymes on tile nature of subunit composition of

arachins from groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Indian J

Biochem Biophys, 12:154-9, 1992 Apr.

Boudreaux HB, Frampton VL, Nature 185 (1960), 469.

Burks AW, et al., Identification and characterization of a

second major peanut allergen Ara h II with use of the sera of

patients with atopic dermatitis and positive peanut challenge. J

Allergy Clin Immunol, 90:962-9, 1992 Dec.

Calori-Domingues MA, Fonseca H, Laboratory evaluation of

chemical control of aflatoxin production in unshelled peanuts