A comprehensive insight into peanut storage: patterns of quality changes, pathways of quality deterioration, and...

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a major oilseed, possessing a high nutritional significance and economic importance but is very susceptible to postharvest spoilage. Despite considerable research, the multifaceted mechanisms underlying quality deterioration remain fragmented, lacking comprehensive integration across deterioration pathways, detection technologies, and storage strategies. This review systematically synthesizes contemporary progress in peanut storage science: (i) quality dynamics (sensory attributes, lipid oxidation, protein structure, and enzymatic activity) under environmental variation; (ii) key deterioration pathways (oxidative rancidity, fungal contamination, and pest infection); (iii) quality detection technologies (conventional and nondestructive, assessed by sensitivity, specificity, and practicality); and (iv) storage strategies, such as controlled-temperature storage, modified atmosphere storage, fumigation, and packaging, with attention to their mechanistic efficacy, operational feasibility, and environmental sustainability. By integrating mechanisms and technologies, valuable theoretical guidance and practical implications are proposed to enhance the safety, quality, and economic value of peanuts throughout global postharvest supply chains.