Comparative study of the effects of Tartary buckwheat seed and sprout consumption on the physiological indices and gut microbiota of C57BL/6J mice

Tartary buckwheat(Fagopyrum tataricum)is a well-known pseudocereal for its health and economic value.However,abundant antinutritional factors(ANFs)reduces its health benefits.As reported,germination can improve the nutritional profile of grains.In this study,we systematically evaluate the safety of Tartary buckwheat seeds(TB)and Tartary buckwheat sprouts(TBS)used as high active ingredients.After evaluating nutrition levels,bioactive compounds and ANFs in TBS during germinating,5^(th)-day TBS were selected as the raw material.C57BL/6J mice were gavaged daily with distilled water,TB,or TBS for 6 weeks.The physiological indices related to ANFs were determined.Results showed that the TB intake tends to generate negative effects on the gut microbiota,and organs.Additionally,upon TB intake,the Fe^(3+)content in serum,trypsin activity in pancreas and jejunum decreased,while the cytokine,IgE,and histamine levels in serum,water content in faeces,cytokine levels in liver and jejunum increased.Conversely,TBS did not induce any obvious negative effects on the above relevant indices and showed better lipid-lowering effect.Altogether,TBS are safer and more effective as a raw material to produce the functional food for long-term consumption with the intention of preventing and treating hyperlipidaemia.

Silicon Mitigates Aluminum Toxicity of Tartary Buckwheat by Regulating Antioxidant Systems

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a considerable factor limiting crop yield and biomass in acidic soil. Tartary buckwheatgrowing in acidic soil may suffer from Al poisoning. Here, we investigated the influence of Al stress on the growthof tartary buckwheat seedling roots, and the alleviation of Al stress by silicon (Si), as has been demonstrated inmany crops. Under Al stress, root growth (total root length, primary root length, root tips, root surface area, androot volume) was significantly inhibited, and Al and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulated in the root tips. At thesame time, catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase activities, polyphenols, flavonoids, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) free-radical scavenging abilitywere significantly decreased. After the application of Si, root growth, Al accumulation, and oxidative damage wereimproved. Compared to Al-treated seedlings, the contents of ·O2− and MDA decreased by 29.39% and 25.22%,respectively. This was associated with Si-induced increases in peroxidase and CAT enzyme activity, flavonoidcompounds, and free-radical scavenging (DPPH and ABTS). The application of Si therefore has positive effectson Al toxicity in tartary buckwheat roots by reducing Al accumulation in the roots and maintaining oxidationhomeostasis.

Effects of nitrogen fertilizer on protein synthesis, accumulation, and physicochemical properties in common buckwheat

Nitrogen(N)fertilization affects grain quality in common buckwheat(Fagopyrum esculentum Moench).But the effects of N fertilizer on various buckwheat protein parameters are not fully understood.This study aimed to investigate the synthesis,accumulation,and quality of buckwheat protein under four N application rates in the Loess Plateau,China.Optimal N application(180 kg N ha-1)improved yield,agronomic traits,and N transport and increased protein yield and protein component accumulation.Prolamin and glutelin accumulation first increased and then decreased with increasing N application.The relationships between the contents of protein components and the amount of applied N generally followed quadratic functions.Nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activities first increased and then decreased with increasing N levels.Optimal N fertilizer increased the waterholding capacity and thermal stability of buckwheat protein and reduced its emulsification capacity,but negligibly changed its oil-absorption capacity.Hydrophobic amino acids and glutelin content were the main factors affecting protein quality.

The beneficial effects of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) on diet-induced obesity in mice are related to the modulation of gut microbiota composition

The gut is home to a large number of intestinal microbiota that play an important role in the metabolism and immune system of the host.A growing body of evidence suggests that a high-fat diet is closely associated with many metabolic disorders,including fatty liver and type 2 diabetes.According to reports,Tartary buckwheat extract has a positive effect on intestinal microbiota in animals.The effects of Tartary buckwheat on biochemical indexes and intestinal microflora in mice were studied.Tartary buckwheat protein(FGP),Tartary buckwheat resistant starch(FGS)and Tartary buckwheat flour(FGF)alleviated organ damage in mice and lowered the atherosclerotic index(AI)in plasma.Otherwise,principal coordinate analysis(PCoA)showed that intestinal bacterial structure of FGF were separated apparently from other groups.The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes(F/B)value of the high-fat(HF)-FGF group was significantly lower than that of the HF-FGP and HF-FGS groups.FGF significantly increases the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium,while decreasing the abundance of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-producing bacteria.Observation of blood lipid metabolism parameters and analysis of the intestinal microbiota suggested that FGF can be more effective than FGP and FGS to reduce the effects of a high-fat diet in mice,restoring the blood parameters to values similar of those in mice fed a low-fat diet.FGF may be used to prevent or treat blood lipid metabolism disorders and intestinal microbiota disorders in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Growth,ROS Markers,Antioxidant Enzymes,Osmotic Regulators and Metabolic Changes in Tartary Buckwheat Subjected to Short Drought

Tartary buckwheat(Fagopyrum tataricum)is an important pseudocereal feed crop with medicinal and nutritional value.Drought is one of the main causes of reduced growth and yield in these plants.We investigated the growth,physiological,and metabolic responses of the widely promoted Tartary buckwheat variety Chuan Qiao No.1 to polyethylene glycol(PEG)-mediated drought stress.Drought significantly decreased shoot length,shoot biomass and relative water content.Root length,malondialdehyde content,electrolyte leakage,activities of superoxide dismutase,peroxidase,catalase and amylase,and contents of soluble sugar,soluble protein and proline were increased by PEG-mediated drought.Untargeted metabolomics analysis identified 32 core metabolites in seedlings subjected to PEG-mediated drought,16 of which increased—including quercetin,isovitexin,cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside,L-arginine,and glycerophosphocholine,while the other 16 decreased—including 3-methoxytyramine,2,6-diaminopimelic acid,citric acid,UDP-alpha-D-glucose,adenosine,keto-D-fructose.The 32 core metabolites were enriched in 29 metabolic pathways,including lysine biosynthesis,citrate(TCA)cycle,anthocyanin biosynthesis,and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis.Among them,taurine and hypotaurine metabolism,flavor and flavor biosynthesis,indole alkaline biosynthesis,and alanine,aspartate and glutamate metabolism were the four main metabolic pathways affected by drought.Our findings provide new insights into the physiological and metabolic response mechanisms of Tartary buckwheat to drought stress.

HPLC Fingerprint - Antioxidant Properties Study of Buckwheat

For quality control of buckwheat, fingerprint-efficacy study of buckwheat was carried out in this work. 2,2＇-Bipyridyl,2,2- diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl radical （DPPH） scavenging activity of the buckwheat was measured using UV spectrometer. Chemical fingerprints of tartary buckwheat from 29 different sources were determined by HPLC-UV and investigated by similarity analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis. The fingerprint-efficacy relationship between chemical fingerprint and DPPH radical scavenging activity of tartary buckwheat were established by multi-linear regression analysis. The results showed that the sources of buckwheat had some important influence on the chemical fingerprints and DPPH radical scavenging activity. DPPH radical scavenging activity of tartary buckwheat was stronger than that of common buckwheat, rutin, and kaempferol and some unknown compound might be the major effective components for quality control of tartary buckwheat for its antioxidant activity.

Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Activity of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Mench and Fagopyrum tartaricum L. Gaerth) Hulls, Brans and Flours

The extracts from hulls, brans and flours of Fagopyrum esculentum M6ench （FEM, three varieties） and Fagopyrum tartaricum L. Gaerth （FTG, seven varieties） were screened for free and bound phenolic content or total phenolic content （TPC）, as well as 1,1 diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl （DPPH） free radical scavenging activity and reducing power. Free phenolics were predominant in buckwheat hulls, brans and flours. FEM hulls extract exhibited the highest reducing power and DPPH free radical scavenging activity with the average ECs0 84.54 μg mL^-1 and IC50 11.54 μg mL^-1 respectively, FTG brans extract had the highest average TPC （24.87 mg GAE g^-1 DW）, and FEM flours extract showed the lowest TPC, reducing power and radical scavenging activity. Furthermore, the correlations among TPC, DPPH free radical scavenging activity and reducing power of all the samples were investigated. The rank correlation coefficient （rs） between reducing power and DPPH free radical scavenging activity of buckwheat hulls, between TPC and DPPH free radical scavenging activity of buckwheat flours were 0.76 and 0.79, respectively （P〈0.05）. However, there is no significant correlation between the remaining indexes of hulls and flours, as well as the ten buckwheat brans. This result indicated that some non-phenolic compounds also contributed to the total antioxidant activity in hulls, brans and flours of buckwheats. This study demonstrated that buckwheat hulls and brans, rather than flours, are good source of antioxidants.

Anti-Oxidative Constituents of Ethanol Extract from Buckwheat Seeds by HPLC-Electro-Spray MS

The study investigates major anti-oxidative constituents of ethanol extracts from the seeds of common buckwheat and tartary buckwheat. Ethanol extracts from buckwheat seeds were arranged to react with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl （DPPH） free radical. HPLC was used to identify anti-oxidative constituents of the ethanol extracts, and electro-spray MS was used to characterize the structures of these identified anti-oxidative constituents to confirm them. The ethanol extracts of common buckwheat and tartary buckwheat seeds both had DPPH free radical-scavenging effect; HPLC analysis showed that the ethanol extracts of both common buckwheat and tartary buckwheat seeds presented two main anti-oxidation peaks, which correspondingly had same chromatographic retention times and spectral information; electro-spray MS analysis showed that the molecular weights and MS fragmentation patterns of the anti-oxidative constituents in the ethanol extracts from buckwheat seeds were the same as those of rutin and quercetin in the control samples. HPLC- MS/MS was capable of being used to rapidly identify anti-oxidative constituents in the extract of buckwheat seeds, and the main anti-oxidative constituents of buckwheat seed extract were mainly rutin and quercetin, and the anti-oxidative activity of quercetin was higher than that of rutin.

Inhibitory effect of tartary buckwheat seedling extracts and associated flavonoid compounds on the polyphenol oxidase activity in potatoes(Solanum tuberosum L.)

To improve the processing quality of potatoes,phosphate buffer extract(PBE),50%ethanol(E50),and aqueous extract(AE)of tartary buckwheat seedlings were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the enzymatic browning of potatoes.The results suggest that all extracts of tartary buckwheat seedlings exert significant inhibitory effects on the polyphenol oxidase(PPO)activity in potatoes.The relative concentrations required for a 50%reduction in the PPO activity(IC50)were 0.21,0.28 and 0.41 mg mL^-1,for PBE,E50 and AE,respectively.The strongest inhibitory activity was observed for PBE,followed by E50 and AE.Four flavone compounds in the PBE of tartary buckwheat seedlings(i.e.,rutin,kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside,quercetin,and kaempferol)were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography.These compounds were subsequently evaluated for their roles in the inhibition of PPO from potatoes using a model system.The results indicated that rutin exhibited the highest inhibition rate on the PPO of potato.A synergistic inhibitory effect was observed by mixing rutin,kaempferol-3-Orutinoside,quercetin,and proteins.The inhibitory patterns of rutin,kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside,and quercetin on the enzyme were noncompetitive and reversible,with inhibitory constants of 0.12,0.31,and 0.40 mg mL^-1,respectively.Flavonoids from tartary buckwheat seedlings may exhibit a common mechanism with phenolic compounds,involving the blockage of the reaction of oxygen with PPO leading to the inhibition of the enzymes involved in browning.Based on these results,extracts of tartary buckwheat seedlings can be used as potent natural inhibitors.

Effects of Heat Treatment on Flavonoids Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaert) Flour Ethanolic Extracts

The chemical composition, total flavonoids and antioxidant capacity of 50% ethanolic extracts from raw and cooked buckwheat flour from southwest of China were determined. The heat treatment used to gelatinize the flour starch significantly reduced the total flavonoids in the extract from 83.52 to 67.36 mg 100 g 1 of dry matter in the raw and cooked flour, respectively. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was evaluated using autooxidation in a β carotene linoleate model system (AA or AAC), DPPH radical scavenging assay (IP) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Values for raw buckwheat flour extract were 97.84, 874.31, 76.45 and 94.92% for AA, AAC, ORAC and IP, respectively, while values in cooked buckwheat flour were 86.14, 842.88, 63.93 and 94.74% for AA, AAC, ORAC and IP, respectively. Values before cooked and raw buckwheat flour extracts were significantly different ( P <0.05) for AA, AAC, and ORAC.

Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms of Exogenous Calcium Chloride on Alleviating Salt Stress in Two Tartary Buckwheat(Fagopyrum tataricum)Varieties Differing in Salinity Tolerance

Salt stress is one of the most serious abiotic stresses limiting plant growth and development.Calcium as an essential nutrient element and important signaling molecule plays an important role in ameliorating the adverse effect of salinity on plants.This study aimed to investigate the impact of exogenous calcium on improving salt tolerance in Tartary buckwheat cultivars,cv.Xinong9920(salt-tolerant)and cv.Xinong9909(salt-sensitive).Four-week-old Tartary buckwheat seedlings under 100 mM NaCl stress were treated with and without exogenous calcium chloride(CaCl_(2)),Ca^(2+)chelator ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid(EGTA)and Ca^(2+)-channel blocker lanthanum chloride(LaCl_(3))for 10 days.Then,some important physiological and biochemical indexes were determined.The results showed that salt stress significantly reduced seedling growth,decreased photosynthetic pigments,inhibited antioxidants and antioxidant enzyme activities.However,it increased the reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels in the two Tartary buckwheat cultivars.Exogenous 10 mM CaCl_(2)application on salt-stressed Tartary buckwheat seedlings obviously mitigated the negative effects of NaCl stress and partially restored seedlings growth.Ca^(2+)-treated salt-stressed seedlings diplayed a suppressed accumulation of ROS,increased the contents of total chlorophyll,soluble protein,proline and antioxidants,and elevated the activities of antioxidant enzymes compared with salt stress alone.On the contrary,the addition of 0.5 mM LaCl_(3)and 5 mM EGTA on salt-stressed Tartary buckwheat seedlings exhibited the opposite effects to those with CaCl_(2)treatment.These results indicate that exogenous Ca^(2+)can enhance salt stress tolerance and Ca^(2+)supplementation may be an effective practice to cultivate Tartary buckwheat in saline soils.

Tartary buckwheat(Fagopyrum tataricum(L.)Gaertn)protein-derived antioxidant peptides:mechanisms of action and structure-activity relationship in Caco-2 cell models

Excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS)can cause oxidative damage and lead to various metabolic disease.Tartary buckwheat(Fagopyrum tataricum(L.)Gaertn)is a new kind of protein-rich functional food,the protein in which has been proved to have good antioxidant capacity.In this study,in order to further explore the antioxidant mechanism of Tartary buckwheat protein,4 peptides(CR-8,LR-8,GK-10 and SR-12)were isolated and identified from it.H2 O2 was used to induce oxidative damage to Caco-2 cells to evaluate antioxidant capacity of these peptides.The results of superoxide dismutase(SOD),total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC)and mitochondrial membrane potential etc.showed that these peptides have superior antioxidant capacity.CR-8 has the best antioxidant capacity.In order to further clarify the antioxidant mechanism of CR-8,metabolomics was used to analyze related metabolites and metabolic pathways.The results showed that after CR-8 intervention,the content of metabolites such as L-acetyl carnitine has increased.This indicated that CR-8 can improve the antioxidant capacity of damaged cells by intervening in multiple metabolic pathways.This also revealed the anti-oxidant mechanism of tartary buckwheat protein.In conclusion,it provided a theoretical basis for further studying the activity of tartary buckwheat portein and utilizing buckwheat resources.

Development of a Kind of Tartary Buckwheat Rice Wine

[Objectives]This study was conducted to improve the utilization of tartary buckwheat resources,enrich the varieties of rice wine products,and further promote the development of the rice wine industry.[Methods]With tartary buckwheat and glutinous rice as raw materials for mixed fermentation and sensory score as an evaluation indicator,the effects of four factors of material ratio,rice leaven addition,material-to-water ratio and fermentation time on the quality of tartary buckwheat rice wine were investigated.The optimal technological conditions of tartary buckwheat rice wine were determined by an orthogonal test.[Results]The optimal process conditions were as follows:the material ratio of 1∶0.2(g/g),the addition amount of rice leaven of 0.5%,the material to water ratio of 1∶0.4(g/ml),and the fermentation time of 72 h.The obtained tartary buckwheat rice wine product was light yellow,clear and bright,and tasted moderately sweet and sour.[Conclusions]The tartary buckwheat rice wine product has good color,fragrance and taste,and is a healthy drink that conforms to people s health concepts and is suitable for drinking.

Quantitative differentiation of phenolic compounds in different varieties of buckwheat cultivars from China, Japan and Korea

The aim of this study was to determine the variation of phenolic compounds in common and tartary buckwheats collected from China, Japan and Korea. Two buckwheat varieties of each country were cultivated using nutrient solution and vermiculite in the greenhouse from February to May, 2012 and harvested at two-week intervals. Phenolics such as chlorogenic acid, C-glycosylflavones (orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, and isovitexin), rutin, and quercetin were quantified using high performance liquid chroma-tography (HPLC). At 17, 29, 44, 58, and 72 days after sowing (DAS), before harvesting each organs, rutin content of cultivars from China and Korea at 17 DAS was the highest (mean 43.63 and 39.95 mg?g–1 DW, respectively) than that of 29 and 44 DAS. However, two varieties from Japan at 44 DAS were documented maximum;whereas, the amount of rutin in “Hokkai T10” harvested at 44 DAS (58.36 mg?g–1 DW) was the highest of all cultivars. Rutin level in the leaves and stems at 72 DAS were comparatively higher than at 58 DAS. The highest of rutin content was found at 72 DAS (73.33 mg?g–1 DW) in “Hokkai T10” leaves followed by “Daegwan No.3-3” (61.13 mg?g–1 DW), “rice tartary” (53.89 mg?g–1 DW). Rutin content of flowers was presented as the highest amount in “Hokkai T10” at 72 DAS (88.3 mg?g–1 DW) was approximately 14-fold higher than that of 58 DAS (6.44 mg?g–1 DW). However, rutin content of flower in “Xiqiao No.2” was 3-fold higher at 72 DAS than at 58 DAS. Rutin and total phenolic compounds content in flowers, leaves, and stems were higher in the order. The content of four C-glycosylflavones in common buckwheat was higher than those in tartary buckwheat, but rutin content which accounted >90% of the total phenolic compounds was higher in tartary buckwheat. The highest amounts of chlorogenic acid and quercetin were measured in the flower of “Xiqiao No.2” (6.85 and 11.69 mg?g–1 DW, respectively). Based on these results, the presence of different phenolic compounds in all the varieties of buckwheat confirmed that it can be regarded as a potent source of functional foods.

Plastome and phylogenetic relationship of the woody buckwheat Fagopyrum tibeticum in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The phylogenetic position of the monotypic woody Parapteropyrum(Polygonaceae)remains controversial.Parapteropyrum has been thought to be closely related to the woody genera of the tribe Atraphaxideae,although some evidence indicates that it nests within the herbal buckwheat genus Fagopyrum of tribe Polygoneae.In this study,we used plastome data to determine the phylogenetic position of Parapteropyrum(Fagopyrum)tibeticum.Different reference species were used to assemble plastomes of three species currently placed in the tribe Ataphaxideae:Parapteropyrum(Fagopyrum)tibeticum,Atraphaxis bracteata and Calligonum ebinuricum.Once assembled,plastomes were characterized and compared to plastomes of 12 species across the family Polygonaceae.Phylogenetic analyses of Polygonaceae were performed using whole plastome,all plastome genes,and single-copy genes.Plastomes assembled using different reference plastomes did not differ;however,annotations showed small variation.Plastomes of Parapteropyrum(Fagopyrum)tibeticum,A.bracteata and C.ebinuricum have the typical quadripartite structure with lengths between 159,265 bp and 164,270 bp,and a total number of plastome genes of about 130.Plastome microsatellites(SSR)ranged in number from 48 to 77.Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses of three plastome data sets consistently nested Parapteropyrum within the genus Fagopyrum.Furthermore,our analyses indicated that sampled woody genera of the family Polygonaceae are polyphyletic.Our study provides strong evidence that the woody Parapteropyrum tibeticum,which is distantly related to woody genera sampled here,should be taxonomically placed under Fagopyrum as Fagopyrum tibeticum.

Content Comparison of Three Kinds of Flavonoids in Powders of Tartary Buckwheat of Different Parts

The contents of rutin,quercetin and kaempferol in powders of tartary buckwheat of different parts were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography( HPLC). The results showed that the contents of the three kinds of flavonoids differed greatly in the powders of tartary buckwheat of different parts. The contents of rutin and quercetin in the powder of tartary buckwheat sprouts were significantly higher than those in the powders of tartary buckwheat leaves and seeds. The content of kaempferol was highest in the powder of tartary buckwheat seeds. It indicates that high-performance liquid chromatography can be used for quality control of tartary buckwheat powder for its time saving,cost saving and accurate and reliable results. The content of rutin in the powder of tartary buckwheat sprouts was highest,suggesting that it is more suitable for the development of various foods based on tartary buckwheat powder.

Current Situations and Development Ideas of Buckwheat Tea Industry in Liangshan Prefecture

This paper firstly introduces current situations of buckwheat tea industry in Liangshan Prefecture,current situations of intellectual property right of buckwheat tea in whole China,and total flavonoid content in buckwheat tea. On the basis of these current situations,it analyzes drawbacks of buckwheat tea sold in the market. Finally,it presents development ideas of buckwheat tea industry in Liangshan Prefecture.

GC-MS Analysis of Metabolites in Filling Grains of Rice-Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) in Comparison to Conventional Tartary Buckwheat

Rice-Tartary buckwheat(RTB)is a special germplasm of Tartary buckwheat.In this study,the appraisal of taste quality between RTB and conventional Tartary buckwheat(CTB)was presented,and the metabolites in kernels at three typical grain filling stage(GFS)were investigated.Unlike CTB,RTB showed thin shell seeds without longitudinal furrows at maturity,which was easily artificially dehulled.Sense organ test indicated that RTB exhibited better taste quality because of the higher values of appearance,viscosity,taste and summary were appraised.In total,92 metabolites were identified in kernels using GM-MS metabolomics platform.The levels of most metabolites changed greatly during grain filling and a large numbers of metabolite-metabolite correlations were found by Pearson correlation coefficient analysis.ANOVA analysis identified 61 differentially expressed metabolites between RTB and CTB,while Venn diagram analysis screened 35 common differential metabolites.Compared with CTB,RTB showed similar levels of lysine and methionine,indicated that RTB own excellent nutritional value.Additionally,RTB exhibited significantly up-regulated levels of most sweeteners(sugars and polyols),which might contribute to better taste.This work provides the first comprehensive metabolomics analysis of kernels between RTB and CTB,which may potentially provide theoretical basis for further research.

Effects of ultra-high-pressure treatment on the structural and functional properties of buckwheat 13S globulin

Components with strong adsorption capacity for cholates from buckwheat proteins were screened, separated and purified by several methods, and the effects of ultra-high-pressure(UHP) on the structure and function of buckwheat 13S globulin(BW13SG) were studied. Samples were treated by UHP at different p H(3.0 and 7.0) value(s) and at 100–500 MPa for 10–30 min. The results showed that the tertiary structure of BW13SG was partially denatured and aggregated. The decrease in the unordered structure indicated that UHP resulted in a looser secondary structure of BW13SG. UHP treatment also increased solubility, emulsion activity and stability, foaming capacity and stability. The samples treated at 500 MPa, p H 3.0 for 30 min had the most enhanced functionality. Moreover, under this condition, the sodium cholate and sodium deoxycholate adsorption capacities of BW13SG were both higher than 98% and the adsorption capacity of sodium taurocholate, which can be difficult to adsorb, was higher than 60%.

Evaluation of Essential and Toxic Element Concentrations in Buckwheat by Experimental and Chemometric Approaches

The essential and toxic element concentrations in buckwheat were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer（ICP-OES）. The concentration data were subjected to common chemometrics analyses, including correlation analysis（CA）, principal component analysis（PCA） and hierarchical cluster analysis（HCA）, to gain better understanding of the differences among the tested samples. Our results indicated that the essential and toxic element concentrations were not different between Fagopyrum tataricum（L.） Gaertn and F. esculentum Moench. The element concentrations varied among buckwheat samples from different sources. Commercial tartary buckwheat tea contained several essential elements, thus, could be used as the source of essential elements. The detection of toxic heavy metals in commercial tartary buckwheat tea suggested that safety issue of such buckwheat products should be seriously concerned. Our results also revealed that the place of origin and the processing protocol of tartary buckwheat affected the element concentrations of the commercial form. The implications to the quality control and safety evaluation of buckwheat were extensively discussed.