Mutagenic agent alters nutritional, fatty acid, and metabolomic profiles of Indonesian Lurik peanut (Arachis hypogaea) cultivar

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is a globally important legume valued for its high nutritional content and economic significance. In Indonesia, two commonly cultivated varieties are Lurik and Garuda. Mutagenic agents have the potential to induce genetic variation, enabling the development of plant varieties with improved yield and enhanced nutritional profiles. In this study, we investigate the effects of Biocatharantine (a mutagenic agent derived from the leaves of Catharanthus roseus containing vincristine and vinblastine) on the chromosome stability, phenotypic traits, nutritional composition, fatty acid profiles, and metabolomic landscape of the Indonesian Lurik peanut cultivar, with Garuda used as a comparative reference. Seeds were treated with two concentrations of biocatharantine (1% and 2%) prior to cultivation. Biocatharantine induced dose-dependent mixoploidy without significantly affecting pod-related yield traits or morphology. Proximate analysis revealed modest changes in protein and carbohydrate contents, while total fat content remained unchanged. GC–MS analysis showed a reciprocal shift between oleic and linoleic acids and minor increases in long-chain fatty acids, suggesting selective modulation of lipid biosynthesis with implications for oil quality. Untargeted LC–MS/MS metabolomics identified moderate, treatment-related metabolic shifts within the Lurik background and clear separation from the Garuda cultivar, reflecting genotypic differences. Differential putatively identified metabolites metabolites and KEGG pathway enrichment consistently highlighted carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolic pathways, aligning with proximate and fatty acid data. Although the observed metabolic changes were modest in magnitude, these findings suggest that biocatharantine-induced mutagenesis can selectively influence key nutritional traits in peanuts, offering a promising strategy for crop improvement through metabolic reprogramming.