Concentrations of Phenolic Acids Are Differently Genetically Determined in Leaves, Flowers, and Grain of Common Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench).

Alena Vollmannová,Tomáš Tóth,Mateja Germ,Iveta Čičová,Tatiana Bojňanská,Július Árvay,Janette Musilová,Ivan Kreft,Judita Lidiková,Marek Šnirc

doi:10.3390/plants10061142

Abstract

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is a valuable source of proteins, B vitamins, manganese, tryptophan, phytochemicals with an antioxidant effect, and the natural flavonoid rutin. Due to its composition, buckwheat supports the human immune system, regulates blood cholesterol, and is suitable for patients with diabetes or celiac disease. The study aimed to compare the allocation of selected phenolic acids (neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, trans-caffeic acid, trans-p-coumaric acid, trans-sinapic acid, trans-ferulic acid) and flavonoids (rutin, vitexin, quercetin, kaempferol) in the leaves, flowers, and grain of buckwheat cultivars of different origin. The content of individual phenolics was determined by the HPLC-DAD method. The results confirmed the determining role of cultivar on the relative content of chlorogenic acid, trans-caffeic acid, trans-sinapic acid, vitexin, and kaempferol in buckwheat plants. A significantly negative correlation among concentrations of phenolic acids in different common buckwheat plant parts shows that there are different mechanisms of genetic influences on the concentration of phenolic substances in common buckwheat flowers, leaves, and grain. These differences should be taken into account when breeding buckwheat for a high concentration of selected phenolic substances.

Highlights

In Europe, buckwheat is a crop of importance in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Luxemburg, Italy, and Slovenia
The main purpose of this investigation was to establish whether the concentration of flavonoids and main phenolic acids in flowers is connected with their concentration in grain and leaves
According to the present results, the concentration of phenolic acids is independently determined in flowers, leaves, and grains

Summary

Introduction

In Europe, buckwheat is a crop of importance in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Luxemburg, Italy, and Slovenia. Improper nutrition as well as an improper composition of foods with excessive energetic intake; high consumption of lipids, simple sugars, and salt; and insufficient intake of fiber, vitamins, and substances with a prophylactic value are factors contributing to this negative phenomenon [6,7,8,9]. The reintroduction of crops with an excellent chemical composition, which had a long tradition of cultivation in some regions, is one of the ways to change the eating habits with the aim to contribute to improving the health of the population. Buckwheat is one among the mentioned traditional high-quality crops [4,5,10,11,12,13]

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