Peanut Oil

Category

Dispersants

Grade

Pharmceutical Excipients

Description

Peanut oil is a colorless or pale yellow-colored liquid that has a faint nutty odor and a bland, nutty taste. At about 38C it becomes cloudy, and at lower temperatures it partially solidifies.

UNII

5TL50QU0W4

Chemical Name

Peanut oil

CAS Number

8002-03-7

Synonyms

Aextreff CT; arachidis oleum raffinatum; earthnut oil; groundnut oil; katchung oil; nut oil.

Administration route

Ear; Intramuscular injection; The eye; Oral administration; vagina

Dosage Form

IM injections, topical preparations, oral capsules, and vaginal emulsions

Stability and Storage Conditions

Peanut oil is an essentially stable material. However on exposure to air it can slowly thicken and may become rancid. Solidified peanut oil should be completely melted and mixed before use. Peanut oil should be stored in a well-filled, airtight, light resistant container, at a temperature not exceeding 40℃. Material intended for use in parenteral dosage forms should be stored in a glass container.

Source and Preparation

Refined peanut oil is obtained from the seeds of Arachis hypogaea Linne´ (Fam. Leguminosae). The seeds are separated from the peanut shells and are expressed in a powerful hydraulic press. The crude oil has a light yellow to light brown color, and is then purified to make it suitable for food or pharmaceutical purposes. A suitable antioxidant may be added.

Applications

Peanut oil is used as an excipient in pharmaceutical formulations primarily as a solvent for sustained-release intramuscular injections. It is also used as a vehicle for topical preparations and as a solvent for vitamins and hormones. In addition, it has been part of sustained-release bead formulations, nasal drug delivery systems, and controlled-release injectables. Therapeutically, emulsions containing peanut oil have been used in nutrition regimens, in enemas as a fecal softener, and in otic drops to soften ear wax. It is also administered orally, usually with sorbitol, as a gall bladder evacuant prior to cholecystography. Peanut oil is also widely used as an edible oil.

Safety

Peanut oil is mildly laxative at a dosage of 15-60 mL orally or of 100-500 mL rectally as an enema.Adverse reactions to peanut oil in foods and pharmaceutical formulations have been reported extensively. These include severe allergic skin rashesand anaphylactic shock following consumption of peanut butter. Some workers have suggested that the use in infancy of preparations containing peanut oil, including infant formula and topical preparations, is associated with sensitization to peanut, with a subsequent risk of hypersensitivity reactions, and that such products should therefore be avoided or banned. However, the role of pharmaceutical preparations in later development of hypersensitivity is disputed since such preparations contain highly refined peanut oil that should not contain the proteins associated with allergic reactions in susceptible individuals. Peanut oil is harmful if administered intravenously and it should not be used in such formulations.

Incompatibilities

Peanut oil may be saponified by alkali hydroxides.