Vision Agri International

Sadhu Vasvani Road, Rajkot, Gujarat

• Peanuts, or "groundnuts" are the edible seeds of a legume, Arachis hypogaea, and they are high in protein, oil and fiber.
• It is a herbaceous, annual type of plant that grows to a height of 20-60 cm. Depending on the species, the plants may grow upright and sideways with their sidewards shoots to a breadth of 30-80 cm.
• Peanuts produced in the U.S. are mostly used in food and confection products, but more than 50 percent of the worldwide production is crushed for its oil.
• There are four basic types of peanuts. Each one is used for manufacturing of different products:
  • RunnerRunners have rapidly gained wide acceptance because of their attractive kernel size range; mostly used for peanut butter.
  • VirginiaVirginias have the largest kernels and account for most of the peanuts roasted and eaten as "inshells." When shelled, the larger kernels are sold as salted peanuts.
  • SpanishSpanish-type peanuts have smaller kernels covered with a reddish-brown skin. They are used predominantly in peanut candy, with significant quantities used for salted nuts and peanut butter. They have higher oil content than the other types of peanuts which is advantageous when crushing for oil.
  • ValenciaValencias usually have three or more small kernels to a pod. They are very sweet peanuts and are usually roasted and sold in the shell; they are excellent for fresh use as boiled peanuts.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

• Peanuts are a very good source of monounsaturated fats, a type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.
• Peanuts are good sources of vitamin E, niacin, folate, protein and manganese. Oils from nut are both edible and non-edible depending on the type. These oils are often available as raw materials for chemical and industrial applications.
• Peanut seed contains 44 to 56 % oil and 22 to 30 % protein on a dry seed basis and is a rich source of minerals (phosphorus, calcium. Magnesium and potassium) and vitamins E, K and B group.
• The literature has reported many health benefits associated with consumption of peanuts including cancer inhibition. This benefit is mainly attributed to micronutrients such as -tocopherol, folate, minerals and health promoting phytochemicals, particularly resveratrol, ferulic acid and other phenolic compounds.
• Nuts provide an interesting nutritional supply due to their high nutritive and energetic value.

USES OF PEANUT

• Amongst nuts, Peanut is one of the most important oil crops in the world. Peanut oil is used to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.
• It is also used to decrease appetite as an aid to weight loss. Some people use it to help prevent cancer.
• Rectally, peanut oil is used in ointments and medicinal oils for treating constipation.
• Pharmaceutical companies use peanut oil in various products they are preparing for internal and external use.
• The study indicated that Peanut oil, may have a higher shelf life, nutritional value and industrial applications
• Value-added products have been developed which have a number of applications including bakery, confectionery and the general consumer market. Among these are:
  • Peanut Flour
  • Peanut Oil
  • Roasted Peanuts
  • Peanut Butter
  • Reduced fat peanut butters
  • Peanut paste

• Chili peppers, despite their fiery hotness, are one of very popular spices known for their medicinal and health benefiting properties. The chili, actually, is a fruit pod from the plant belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), within the genus, capsicum.
• Scientific name: Capsicum annum. The chili plant is native to Central American region where it was employed as one the chief spice ingredients in Mexican cuisine for centuries. It was later introduced to the rest of the world by Spanish and Portuguese explorers during 16th and 17th centuries, and today grown widely in many parts of the world as an important commercial crop.
• Several cultivars of chili peppers are grown all around the world. Depending on the cultivar type, their hotness ranges from mild, fleshy (Mexican bell peppers) to fiery, tiny, Nag Jalokiya chili peppers of Indian subcontinent. The hotness of chili is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU). On the Scoville scale, a sweet bell pepper scores 0, a jalapeo pepper around 2, 500-4, 000 units, and a Mexican habaeros may have 200, 000 to 500, 000 units.
• Chilies have a strong spicy taste that comes to them from the active alkaloid compounds: capsaicin, capsanthin and capsorubin.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHILIS

• Chili pepper contains an impressive list of plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties.
• Chilies contain health benefiting an alkaloid compound in them, capsaicin, which gives them strong spicy pungent character.
• Fresh chili peppers, red and green, are rich source of vitamin-C. 100 g fresh chilies provide about 143.7 g or about 240% of RDA Chili peppers have amazingly high levels of vitamins and minerals. Just 100 g provides
• They are also good in other antioxidants which helps protect the body from injurious effects of free radicals generated during stress, diseases conditions.
• Chilies contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium.
• Chilies are also good in B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that human body requires them from external sources to replenish.

SELECTION AND STORAGE

• Dry chilies can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dark place, inside airtight containers for many months; and can be milled to powder using mixer/grinder as and when required. Powdered chili pepper should be stored in cool place inside an airtight container.

USES

• Chili peppers contain chemical compound capsaicin. Capsaicin and its co-compounds used in the preparation of ointments, rubs and tinctures for their astringent, counter-irritant and analgesic properties.
• These formulations have been in use in the treatment of arthritic pain, post-herpetic neuropathic pain, sore muscles, etc.
• Dried chili powder is an important ingredient in the spice mix known as curry powder in many Asian countries
• Hot chilies used as a condiment in the preparation of soups, chili sauce, spicy water, vinegar-spice mix, etc.
• Chilies, soaked in yogurt and then dried under sunlight, are used as condiment side-dish which served during dinner time in south-Indian states.