Photosynthetic efficiency, growth and secondary metabolism of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) in different controlled-environment production systems

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and high-pressure sodium lamps (HPS) are among the most commonly used light sources for plant cultivation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two controlled-environment production systems differing in light sources on growth, photosynthetic activity, and secondary metabolism of common buckwheat. We hypothesized that LED light with the majority of red and blue waves would increase physiological and biochemical parameters compared to sunlight supplemented with HPS lamps. The experiment was performed in a phytotronic chamber (LEDs) and in a greenhouse (solar radiation supplemented with HPS lamps as a control). The effects were analyzed at the flowering phase with biometric measurements, leaf chlorophyll index, the kinetics of chlorophyll a fluorescence, content of soluble carbohydrates and phenolics in the leaves. Applied LED light decreased the biomass but stimulated the production of phenolics compared to control plants. In control plants, a positive correlation between flavonoid content and energy dissipation from photosystem II (DIo/CSm) was found, while in plants under LEDs total pool of phenolic content correlated with this parameter and the quantum yield of electron transport (φ Ro and ψ Ro) was lower than that of the control, probably affecting buckwheat biomass.

Optimization of the Multienzyme-Assisted Extraction Procedure of Bioactive Compounds Extracts from Common Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum M.) and Evaluation of Obtained Extracts

Optimization of the extraction procedure using a multienzymes cocktail for common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum M.) is important due to the yield, fermentable sugars, oligosaccharides and bioactive compounds for creating higher added value products. This study was undertaken to find out the optimum multienzymes-water extraction on yield and total phenolic compounds for common Buckwheat using response surface methodology (RSM). Three independent variables, time (2, 13, and 24 h), temperature (60 °C, 70 °C, 80 °C), and non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) enzymes mixture (0.10, 0.55, and 1.00 mL), were analyzed to optimize the response variables. NSP hydrolyzing enzymes, cellulase, xylanase, and β-glucanase, were produced by Trichoderma reesei. Estimated optimum conditions for F. esculentum were found: time—2 h, temperature—65 °C, and cellulase activity—8.6 CellG5 Units/mL. Different optimization run samples were collected and lyophilized for further analysis until the hydrophilic property using the water contact angle methodology and rutin content using HPLC was determined. Results indicated NSP enzymes activity did not differ between water contact angles after 13 h of enzymatic water extraction. However, longer fermentation time (24 h) decreased static water contact angle by approximately 3–7° for lyophilized water extract and 2–7° for solid fraction after fermentation. It implies enzymatic hydrolysis during water extraction increased hydrophilic properties in solid fraction and decreased hydrophilicity in water fraction due to the enzymes cleaved glycosidic bonds releasing water-soluble compounds.

A study of the influence of copper sulfate on the spectral properties of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)

The influence of pollutants on the spectral properties of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) has been investigated insufficiently, compared to the cereals from the Poaceae family. A two-stage spectral survey has been carried out, growing common buckwheat in containers with set concentrations of copper(II) sulfate in soil both in laboratory conditions and in the open air. Spectral distributions of diffuse reflectance of the plants were registered in the range of 400 – 1100 nm, and spectral indices were calculated, using wavelengths corresponding to spectral features of plant pigments. Simultaneously, digital photos were taken to account for projective cover of the plants. Four spectral indices were found to depend quantitatively on pollutant concentration, three of them taking extreme values at the time of maximal projective cover. When growing buckwheat in the open air, lower temperatures and higher irradiation lead to closer values of spectral indices corresponding to different copper concentration, than in laboratory conditions. The results show the usability of common buckwheat as an indicator of soil pollution by copper.

Buckwheat Grass Tea Beverages: Row Materials, Production Methods, and Biological Activity

Introduction. Buckwheat grain has long been used in food technology. However, its aboveground part remains understudied even though it is richer in biologically active substances than grain. The research objective was to evaluate the potential of buckwheat grass as a raw material for functional tea beverages. Study objects and methods. The research featured the lower and upper parts of the stem, leaves, and flowers of common buckwheat, as well as buckwheat tea beverages. The content of polyphenol compounds was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, while the amount of rutin was measured by HPLC analysis. Sensory properties were analyzed by standard methods and quality score, and antioxidant activity – by DPPH radical scavenging method. Results and discussion. The sensory analyses proved that the best tea beverages were made from the upper part of the plant: the samples had a strong smell of meadow grass and honey. The taste of the samples was pleasant, sweetish, with a honey and light floral aftertaste. As the total score (maximum score – 20) increased, the tea samples were arranged in the following order: lower stem (14.3) > upper stem (16.8) > leaves, (18.5) > blend – mix of leaves, flowers, and upper stem (18.6) > flowers (19.3). Polyphenol compounds were found in all parts of the plant: flowers – 6.67%, leaves – 5.71%, blend – 5.45%, upper and lower stem – 1.92 and 1.32%, respectively. Only 30–40% of buckwheat grass polyphenol compounds were found in tea beverages. Most of them were in the samples prepared from leaves and flowers – 1.78 %. Rutin made up most of the polyphenol compounds found in the leaves (5.05%), but its content was lower in other parts of the plant: 3.43% in the blend, 3.03% in the flowers, 1.08 and 0.76% in the upper and lower stem. Except for the lower stem samples, the tea contained from 15 to 75% of the daily rutin intake. All the tea samples showed antioxidant activity: flowers – 66.7%, leaves – 62.3%, and blend – 52.5%. In terms of ascorbic acid, it was 69, 64, and 52 μmol/g dry matter, respectfully. The same samples demonstrated antiradical activity. Conclusion. Common buckwheat grass can serve as a raw material for tea beverages. Buckwheat tea is a natural functional food product with zero caffeine. They have a pleasant taste and aroma. They owe their high biological activity to the high content of rutin and other polyphenol compounds.

Isolation and Characterization of APETALA3 Orthologs and Promoters from the Distylous Fagopyrum esculentum

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) produces distylous flowers with undifferentiated petaloid tepals, which makes it obviously different from flowers of model species. In model species Arabidopsis, APETALA3 (AP3) is expressed in petal and stamen and specifies petal and stamen identities during flower development. Combining with our previous studies, we found that small-scale gene duplication (GD) event and alternative splicing (AS) of common buckwheat AP3 orthologs resulted in FaesAP3_1, FaesAP3_2 and FaesAP3_2a. FaesAP3_2 and FaesAP3_2a were mainly expressed in the stamen of thrum and pin flower. Promoters functional analysis suggested that intense GUS staining was observed in the whole stamen in pFaesAP3_2::GUS transgenic Arabidopsis, while intense GUS staining was observed only in the filament of stamen in pFaesAP3_1::GUS transgenic Arabidopsis. These suggested that FaesAP3_1 and FaesAP3_2 had overlapping functions in specifying stamen filament identity and work together to determine normal stamen development. Additionally, FaesAP3_2 and FaesAP3_2a owned the similar ability to rescue stamen development of Arabidopsis ap3-3 mutant, although AS resulted in a frameshift mutation and consequent omission of the complete PI-derived motif and euAP3 motif of FaesAP3_2a. These suggested that the MIK region of AP3-like proteins was crucial for determining stamen identity, while the function of AP3-like proteins in specifying petal identity was gradually obtained after AP3 Orthologs acquiring a novel C-terminal euAP3 motif during the evolution of core eudicots. Our results also provide a clue to understanding the early evolution of the functional specificity of euAP3-type proteins involving in floral organ development in core eudicots, and also suggested that FaesAP3_2 holds the potential application for biotechnical engineering to develop a sterile male line of F. esculentum.

Complete Nucleotide Sequence of an Endornavirus Isolated from Common Buckwheat (Fagopyrum Esculentum)

A double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of approximately 16 kbp was isolated from symptomless common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) plants. The size of the dsRNA suggested that it was the replicative form of an endornavirus. The dsRNA was sequenced, and it consisted of 15,677 nt containing a single open reading frame that potentially encoded a polyprotein of 5,190 aa. The polyprotein contained conserved domains for a viral methyltransferase, viral RNA helicase 1, MSCRAMM family adhesion SdrC, UDP-glycosyltransferase, and viral RNA dependent RNA polymerase 2. A site-specific nick in the plus strand was detected near the 5' end of the dsRNA. BLASTP analysis showed that the polyprotein shared the highest identity with the polyprotein of winged bean endornavirus 1. Results of phylogenetic analysis supported placing the novel virus from common buckwheat, which was provisionally named Fagopyrum esculentum endornavirus 1, in the genus Alphaendornavirus of the family Endornaviridae.