Arachis hypogaea L.

DeFilipps, Robert A. & Krupnick, Gary A., 2018, The medicinal plants of Myanmar, PhytoKeys 102, pp. 1-341 : 79

Arachis hypogaea L.

Names.

Myanmar: myay-pe. English: earth nut, grass nut, groundnut, monkey nut, peanut.

Range.

Southern Brazil. Now widely cultivated throughout the tropics. Cultivated in Myanmar.

Use.

Seed: Used for production of peanut oil. Oil aperient, emollient.

Notes.

In India the fruit is used as an astringent (its oil is also astringent to the bowels), an aperient, and an emollient; also, unripe nuts are used for a lactagogue ( Jain and DeFilipps 1991). Indigenous medicinal uses of this species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India) are described by Dagar and Singh (1999). Medicinal uses of this species in China are discussed by Duke and Ayensu (1985). These include the use of the seed for an oil aperient, emollient, and for gonorrhea (given in milk); applied externally for rheumatism; considered demulcent, pectoral, and peptic. " In China this widely cultivated species is considered to be nutritive, peptic, demulcent, and pectoral ( Perry 1980).

"The oilseed cake is a good source of the amino acid arginine … and glutamic acid, which is used in treating mental deficiencies" ( Perry 1980). Details of the active chemical compounds, effects, herbal usage and pharmacological literature of this plant are given in Fleming (2000). Toxicity of this species is discussed by Bruneton (1999).

Reference.

Nordal (1963).