Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and -optical emission spectroscopy (ICP–OES) for determination of essential minerals in closed acid digestates of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Validated methods to measure the essential mineral composition of food matrices are needed to satisfy the analytical requirements of product development, quality control, and food regulatory authorities. We investigated the use of inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP–OES) and -mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), with and without the use of a dynamic reaction cell (DRC), to analyse 15 essential minerals in peanut kernels. We validated methods for Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, P, and Zn analyses; however further tests are needed for validation of the B, Co, Cr, Na, Ni, and Se analyses. ICP–OES was applied to a study of genotypic variation among 56 breeding lines grown in the Australian peanut improvement program. We found promising levels of genotypic variation (>10%) in essential mineral traits, especially Ca (18–23%) and Mn (24%). Further investigation of the plant breeding potential for mineral traits may aid in the future development of peanut cultivars with enhanced micronutrients.