Non Allergenic 'Super' Peanuts Are In The Making!

Peanuts are known to cause allergic reactions in some people. However, now, a team of researchers at the University of Western Australia are very close to create a non-allergenic "super" peanut.

The finding was carried out by scientists from the University and several global research organisations including the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), reported Phys.org.

The researchers have decoded the DNA of the peanut to identify genes that when altered will be able to prevent an allergic response in humans. Around three per cent of Australians are exposed to peanut allergies.

Peanuts are grown in more than 100 countries, with approximately 42 million tonnes produced every year. They are an important global food source and one the most economically important crops.

UWA Institute of Agriculture and School of Plant Biology Professor Rajeev Varshney, who played a lead role in the study, said the discovery was important for the agricultural industry and farming communities and will lead to increased crop productivity and nutritional value.

"This discovery brings us that one step closer to creating peanuts that will have significant benefits globally," Professor Varshney said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

"We will also be able to produce peanuts that have more health benefits with improved nutritional value."

Professor Varshney said after identifying the genes their next step would be to alter the genes and test the results in geocarpy (the productive process in the peanut), to develop new non allergenic varieties of peanuts.

"This will provide an efficient road map for sustainable and resilient groundnut production for improved livelihoods of smallholder farmers particularly in the marginal environments of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa," said Dr David Bergvinson, Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.

The findings have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).