Comparative metabolomics study of Tartary (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn) and common (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) buckwheat seeds

Comparative metabolomics study of Tartary (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn) and common (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) buckwheat seeds.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) originates in mountain areas of western China, and it is mainly cultivated in China, Bhutan, northern India, Nepal, and central Europe. Tartary buckwheat shows greater cold resistance than common buckwheat, and has traits for drought tolerance. Buckwheat can provide health benefits due to its contents of resistant starch, mineral elements, proteins, and in particular, phenolic substances, which prevent the effects of several chronic human diseases, including hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and gallstone formation. The contents of the flavonoids rutin and quercetin are very variable among Tartary buckwheat samples from different origins and parts of the plants. Quercetin is formed after the degradation of rutin by the Tartary buckwheat enzyme rutinosidase, which mainly occurs after grain milling during mixing of the flour with water. High temperature treatments of wet Tartary buckwheat material prevent the conversion of rutin to quercetin.

Tartary Buckwheat in Human Nutrition

Milling fractions composition of common (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and Tartary (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) buckwheat.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) and common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) are important sources of proteins with balanced amino-acid compositions, and thus of high nutritional value. The polyphenols naturally present in Tartary buckwheat and common buckwheat lower the true digestibility of the proteins. Digestion-resistant peptides are a vehicle for fecal excretion of steroids, and in this way, for bile acid elimination and reduction of cholesterol concentrations in serum. Buckwheat proteins are more effective compared to soy proteins for the prevention of gallstone formation. Tartary and common buckwheat grain that contains appropriate amounts of selenium-containing amino acids can be produced as functional food products. The protein-rich by-products of buckwheat are a good source of bioactive substances that can suppress colon carcinogenesis by reducing cell proliferation. The grain embryo is a rich source of proteins, so breeding buckwheat with larger embryos is a possible strategy to increase protein levels in Tartary and common buckwheat grain. However, chemical analysis of the grain is the most relevant criterion for assessing grain protein levels and quality.

https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/14/pdf

Breeding Buckwheat for Increased Levels and Improved Quality of Protein.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is a nutritionally balanced and flavonoid-rich crop plant that has been in cultivation for 4000 years and is now grown globally. Despite its nutraceutical and agricultural value, the characterization of its genetics and its domestication history is limited. Here, we report a comprehensive database of Tartary buckwheat genomic variation based on whole-genome resequencing of 510 germplasms. Our analysis suggests that two independent domestication events occurred in southwestern and northern China, resulting in diverse characteristics of modern Tartary buckwheat varieties. Genome-wide association studies for important agricultural traits identify several candidate genes, including FtUFGT3 and FtAP2YT1 that significantly correlate with flavonoid accumulation and grain weight, respectively. We describe the domestication history of Tartary buckwheat and provide a detailed resource of genomic variation to allow for genomic-assisted breeding in the improvement of elite cultivars.

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Qiang Gao

Papers

Resequencing of global Tartary buckwheat accessions reveals multiple domestication events and key loci associated with agronomic traits