Abstract: The tocopherol and phytosterol composition of 45 peanut cultivars from Shandong, Guangdong and Henan provinces was comparatively analyzed by HPLC. The results showed that three VE isomers (α-, γ-, and δ-VE) and three sterols (campsterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol) were found in each peanut cultivar. Three provinces were Henan, Guangdong and Shandong in the decreasing order of total VE content, Guangdong, Henan and Shandong in the decreasing order of α-VE content, Henan, Shandong and Guangdong in the decreasing order of γ- and δ-VE contents, and Henan, Shandong and Guangdong in the decreasing order of total sterol, campstreol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol contents. For each peanut cultivar, α-VE was the most predominant VE isomer, accounting for 70.37%–78.27% of the total VE amount, and β-sitosterol was most dominant among three sterols, representing 61.98%–71.65% of the total sterol amount.

Key words: peanut, cultivars, vitamin E, isomer, sterol