Rutin content of the grain of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. and Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) varieties grown in southern Italy

Abstract

The rutin content of the grain of 31 buckwheat varieties (28 F. esculentum and 3 F. tataricum) grown on the high plain of Sila (Region of Calabria) and on the massif of Pollino (Region of Basilicata) presented a substantial degree of variation. Among the F. esculentum varieties the lowest values were found for Botan and Spacinska, while the highest contents were observed in the varieties Emka and Lechnicka Krajova. As expected, the rutin content of the grain of F. tataricum was higher than that of F. esculentum, with the variety Donan showing the highest value. In view of the role of rutin in conferring most of the functional food characteristics of buckwheat, knowledge of the grain rutin content expressed in a specific environment, together with the yield potential, is important for the identification of buckwheat varieties worth adopting in an area such as the high plain of Sila, which, thanks to its extent, has the potential to represent a novel territory for the profitable cultivation of buckwheat in Italy. ©2007 Akadémiai Kiadó.