Nutritional composition, bioactive compounds, and diabetic enzyme inhibition capacity of three varieties of buckwheat in Japan

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AbstractBackground and objectivesBuckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a source of nutrients whose total content relies on various factors such as genotype, environmental stresses, and developmental phase. The objective of this study was to investigate chemical composition, nutritional values (amino acid and fatty acid composition), bioactive compounds (total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant), and diabetic enzyme inhibition capacity of a tetraploid Tartary buckwheat “Shinano kurotsubu” cultivated in Japan as compared to other kinds of buckwheat varieties including a common buckwheat and a Tartary buckwheat “Hokkai T8.”FindingsThe protein content of the tetraploid Tartary buckwheat groats (14.14%) was significantly higher than that of the common or Tartary buckwheat groats (p < 0.05). However, the tetraploid Tartary buckwheat groats had lower lipid and ash contents as compared to the Tartary buckwheat groats. Amino acid composition and total amounts of unsaturated fatty acids of the tetraploid Tartary buckwheat were somewhat similar to those of the Tartary buckwheat. The tetraploid Tartary buckwheat was also found to have high total phenolic, total flavonoid, rutin, and quercetin contents, high antioxidant and diabetic enzyme inhibition capacities similar to the Tartary buckwheat.ConclusionsThe tetraploid Tartary buckwheat was found to be a good source of nutrients and functional components and could be used for food processing.Significance and noveltyRecently, a new buckwheat variety named tetraploid Tartary buckwheat (var. “Shinano kurotsubu”) was successfully developed, and this variety is of more benefit for the milling process because of larger grain and more easily dehulled as compared to the Tartary buckwheat. This is the first report on the nutritional composition, bioactive compounds, and diabetic enzyme inhibition capacity of this buckwheat variety.