Buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.) is a plant rich in flavonoids, which have numerous of beneficial effects on human health, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective activities. Among the most important flavonoid compounds in buckwheat are rutin and orientin. The flavonoid content depends on the species of buckwheat and the part of the plant. The herbaceous parts are generally richer in bioactive compounds than the seeds, which are most commonly consumed.
In this master thesis, we determined the content of rutin, orientin, and other polyphenolic compounds in different species of buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.). Using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS), we analyzed eight different species and a total of 23 samples of buckwheat, focusing on dried leaves, flowers, stamens, and fruits of the selected species.
The results confirmed that rutin was the most frequently detected flavonoid, with the highest concentrations found in the leaves of F. tataricum, F. cymosum, and F. esculentum. In addition to rutin, high levels of quercetin were also detected in the samples. Orientin was observed less frequently and in lower quantities, identified mainly in samples of common buckwheat and F. cymosum.
We found that the presence of individual flavonoids varies significantly between buckwheat species and also depends on the part of the plant that we analysed. These differences are important for the potential use of buckwheat in pharmaceutical or nutritional applications. The selected LC-MS method proved to be accurate and reliable for flavonoid identification even in complex plant matrices.
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