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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Rutin content in the forage and grain of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) as affected by sowing time and irrigation in a Mediterranean environment

Marco Mariotti A B , Marco Macchia B C , Domenico Cerri A B , Domenico Gatta A B , Iduna Arduini https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5874-6145 B D E and Giuseppe Saccomanni B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy.

B Interdepartmental Research Center ‘Nutraceuticals and Food for Health’, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy.

C Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy.

D Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy.

E Corresponding author. Email: iduna.arduini@unipi.it

Crop and Pasture Science 71(2) 171-182 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP19238
Submitted: 6 June 2019  Accepted: 10 November 2019   Published: 6 February 2020

Abstract

Cultivation of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) under Mediterranean photothermal conditions could affect synthesis of the flavonoid rutin and its partitioning within the plant, thus affecting the nutraceutical value of plant products. We examined rutin concentration and yield in the forage and the grain of common buckwheat grown under Mediterranean field conditions, in response to sowing time, irrigation, growth stage at harvest, and variety. The highest rutin concentration and yield in the forage were obtained with late spring sowing, thanks to greater accumulation of solar radiation and higher efficiency of rutin synthesis per photothermal unit. Water supply promoted a more efficient use of light resources for both biomass accumulation and rutin synthesis. Rainfed conditions reduced biomass accumulation to a greater extent than rutin synthesis. Rutin concentration was highest in leaves, followed by inflorescences, stems and achenes, and in all plant parts it decreased with plant age. In the grain, rutin concentration was highest with late spring sowing, and rutin yield was highest with early spring sowing. Correlation analyses suggest that rutin synthesis proceeds from the leaves to the other plant parts. Our research demonstrates that buckwheat can be cultivated in Mediterranean regions as a source of rutin for medicine and for food and feed supplementation.

Additional keywords: flavonoids, nutraceutical products.


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