This study was carried out to investigate the chemical 　composition of peanut mutants induced by gamma radiation (Co-60) at 300 ㏉ in seeds of the cultivar Shinnamkwang. The protein contents of twenty-eight peanut mutants ranged from 23.3% to 31.7% and were increased by from 0.5% to 8.4% in fifteen mutants lines from the 26.8% of the original variety, cv. Shinnamkwang. Lipid contents of in mutants ranged from 43.2% to 53.5%, an increase of 0.2% to 5.7% from the 47.8% of the original variety. The range of unsaturated oleic acid in 28 mutants was from 38.9% to 56.9% an increase of from 1.3% to 14.0% from the 50.6% in the original variety. Linoleic acid, the highest unsaturated fatty acid, constituted 32.6% meanly of mutants, it was 17.4% lesser than oleic acid, ranging from 25.9% to 42.0%. Palmitic acid (16:0) contents ranged from 8.6% to 11.1%, and the mutant line-9 had the highest content. The ratio of oleic to linoleic acid was 0.9 to 2.2. A negative coefficient (r=-0.98**) was obtained between oleic and linoleic acid, but for other fatty acids, no significant relation was observed. Similarly, a negative coefficient of r=-0.68**was observed between saturated and unsaturated acids. The sucrose compositions of mutants ranged from 2.6% to 6.2%.

• Hong Soo Doo(Jonju Biomaterials Institute, Jeonju 561-756, Korea.) Corresponding author
• Young Keun Cheong(Honam Agricultural Research Institute, National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, Iksan 570-080, Korea)
• Ki Hun Park(Honam Agricultural Research Institute, National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, Iksan 570-080, Korea)