Genetic variability of phytic acid phosphorus and inorganic phosphorus in cultivated groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

The presence of excessive phytic acids in foods exerts undesirable antinutritional effects while their agricultural product is utilized as food for humans and as fodder for animals. In this study, 40 cultivated groundnut genotypes were grown in two years and used to estimate the phytic acid phosphorus (PAP) and inorganic phosphorus (InP) contents. The PAP content differed significantly (P = 0.01) among the genotypes and ranged from 149.3 to 315.0mg PAP/100 g seed with an average of 227.6mg PAP/100 g seed. The genotypes TG 17 and TG 67 had the highest (315 mg) and the lowest (149.3 mg) PAP content, respectively. The InP content ranged from 58.7 mg/100 g seed in the SG 99 genotype to 102.6 mg/100 g seed in the TG 40 genotype, with a mean of 82.6 mg/100 g seed. The ratio of InP to PAP varied from 0.24 to 0.56. A significantly higher InP: PAP ratio was found in the genotypes TKG 19A, TAG 24, TG 37A, TBG 39 (TDG 39), TG 51, TG 67 and GG 7, which was due to either an increase in InP content or a decrease in PAP content.