Antioxidant Potential and Ionomic Analysis of Two Buckwheat Species from Kashmir Region

Background: Buckwheat in the past had been the staple food for many regions in the Himalaya’s and its utilization has declined with time. In recent times buckwheat gained a lot of attention as it has been placed in the list of underutilized crops by FAO. There is a strong sentiment and realization for buckwheat revival because of its neutraceutrical properties due to which it provides the consumers with extra choice for his food basket. In this context the present investigation aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potential and mineral element analysis of two buckwheat species grown in Kashmir region. Methods: To achieve this goal, antioxidant potential of two buckwheat species was done by using standard protocols. For ionomic analysis, atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) was done to unravel the macro-and micro-nutrient composition. Result: Aqueous extract of Fagopyrum tataricum exhibits higher TPC (159.51±10.3 mg gallic acid equivalent g-¹ DW) and TFC (79.49±9.76 mg rutin equivalent g-¹ DW). The F. tataricum samples exhibit high radical scavenging activity (RSa₅₀=26.67μg ml-¹) as compared to F. kashmirianum (RSa⁵⁰=34.15μg ml-¹). Elemental analysis revealed that calcium (Ca) was found high in F. tataricum (5125±56.76ppm) while as the iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) were found in high concentration in F. kashmirianum (1122.5±25.77ppm) and (122.75±12.34ppm) respectively. Conclusion: These findings suggested that buckwheat extract possess excellent antioxidant property and is rich source of minerals indispensable for human health. Thus, buckwheat could be a promising alternative in functional food sector for improving the social well-being and diminishing malnutrition especially for the impoverished community.

Key words: Aqueous extract, Antioxidants, AAS, Buckwheat, DPPH, FRAP.