Authors: Juliet Hatoho Musalima, Patrick Ogwok, Diriisa Mugampoza.
Lipids contain fat soluble vitamins, sterols and polyphenols. This study aimed to determine the anti-oxidant vitamins, minerals and tannins in oil from groundnuts and oyster nuts grown in Uganda. Methods used included; high performance liquid chromatography, atomic absorption spectroscopy and UV spectroscopy. Groundnut oil contained nd to 559 µg/100 g of Vitamin A. Acholi white had the highest vitamin A content. Beta-carotene levels ranged from 0.21 to 1.72 µg/100 and vitamin E varied from 0.88 to 7.19 mg/100 g. Oil from Serenut 6Tan, 7Tan, 13Tan, Rudu red and Rudu white contained 37%, 39%, 48%, 42% and 47% of recommended daily intake for vitamin E. Vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin E in oyster nut oil ranged from 19.00 to 29.17 µg/100 g, 2.20 to 3.69 mg/100 g and 0.9 to 1.77 mg/100 g, respectively. The most abundant mineral in groundnut oil was calcium at 0.05 to 3.41 mg/100 g and the least was iron at 0.02 to 0.35 mg/100 g. The predominant mineral in oyster nut oil was magnesium at 42.71 to 55.77 mg/100 g and the least was iron at 0.18 to 0.20 mg/100 g. Tannins ranged from 531.89 to 940.22 µg/100 g in groundnut oil and 333.95 to 412.72 µg/100 g in oyster nut oil. The amounts of vitamin
A and beta-carotene and minerals in oil were lower than the recommended daily intake. The low mineral content in both oils is favourable for shelf life. Tannin levels in groundnut and oyster nut oil were below the lethal dose. Oil with notable values of vitamin E could be exploited by breeders to improve content of other cultivars.