Anthocyanin is one important nutrition composition in Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) sprouts, a component missing in its seeds. Although anthocyanin biosynthesis requires light, the mechanism of light-induced anthocyanin accumulation in Tartary buckwheat is unclear. Here, comparative transcriptome analysis of Tartary buckwheat sprouts under light and dark treatments and biochemical approaches were performed to identify the roles of one B-box protein BBX22 and ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5). The overexpression assay showed that FtHY5 and FtBBX22 could both promote anthocyanin synthesis in red-flower tobacco. Additionally, FtBBX22 associated with FtHY5 to form a complex that activates the transcription of MYB transcription factor genes FtMYB42 and FtDFR, leading to anthocyanin accumulation. These findings revealed the regulation mechanism of light-induced anthocyanin synthesis and provide excellent gene resources for breeding high-quality Tartary buckwheat.

Buckwheat is a highly nutritional pseudocereal with antioxidant potential. The aim of this study was to analyze the genetic variability of 21 varieties of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.) and 14 varieties of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) using microsatellite markers. By analyzing 21 SSR markers, an average of 11.6 alleles per locus were amplified and an average PIC value of 0.711 was determined. We determined the heterozygous status of the individuals and variability in the set using the SSR analysis on the basis of expected heterozygosity (He, 0.477), observed heterozygosity (Ho, 0.675), Shannon\'s index (I, 0.820), and fixation indices (FST, FIS, FIT). Based on the SSR analyses, the lower level of expected heterozygosity in the analyzed set of Tartary buckwheat genotypes was observed compared to common buckwheat. With the help of a hierarchical cluster analysis using the UPGMA algorithm, Structure analysis, and PCoA analysis for the SSR markers, we divided the buckwheat varieties in the dendrogram into two main clusters according to the species. The AMOVA analysis showed that genetic variability between the individuals prevails in the analyzed set. The SSR technique proved to be a suitable tool for the determination of intra- and inter-varietal genetic variability and for analysis of diversity.

BACKGROUND: Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone that plays an important role in plant resistance to drought, salinity, cold, and pathogens. It is also important for regulating plant growth and development. Pyrabactin resistance/pyr1-like/regulatory components of the ABA receptor (PYL/RCAR) are ABA receptor proteins in plants and the core of ABA signal transduction pathways in plant regulatory factors. At present, there are no reports on the PYL family of Tartary buckwheat.
RESULTS: In this study, 19 paralogous form PYL genes in buckwheat were identified at the whole-genome level and named FtPYL1-FtPYL19 according to their positions on chromosomes. We further analyzed the gene structure, conserved motifs, cis-acting elements, gene duplication, phylogenetic relationships, and expression patterns under different stress treatments and during grain development of the 19 paralogous form PYL genes in Tartary buckwheat. The FtPYL gene exhibits a single exonic gene structure for about 68.4% of the duplicated forms from the total paralogous forms. The remaining subfamilies, such as I and II, contain three exons and two exons (e.g., FtPYL19), respectively. Nineteen FtPYL genes were evenly distributed across the eight chromosomes, with at least one FtPYL gene on each chromosome. In the FtPYL gene family, there was one tandem repeat event and five gene duplication events. We investigated the gene expression levels of FtPYL gene under four abiotic stresses and different stages of grain development. Under drought stress (PEG6000), the relative expression levels of FtPYL14 and FtPYL15 increased by fourfold. Under high temperature stress (38℃), the relative expression level of FtPYL16 dropped to 0.12, and that of FtPYL17 fell to 0.22. At different stages of grain development, the gene expression level of FtPY15 is extremely high at 19 D. The relative expression level of FtPYL7 in roots and stems reaches up to approximately 450, and the relative expression level of FtPYL10 in 13 D also reaches up to 248. In this study, the PYL gene family of Tartary buckwheat was identified and analyzed based on the whole genome, and 19 paralogous form FtPYL genes of Tartary buckwheat were bioinformatically analyzed. The expression patterns of 19 paralogous form FtPYL genes in Tartary buckwheat cultivars under different stress treatments and during grain development were analyzed. It was found that the FtPYL gene played an important role in grain development.

This study aimed to explore the effects of various lipids on the structure, cooking quality, and in vitro starch digestibility of extruded buckwheat noodles (EBNs) with and without 20% high-amylose corn starch (HACS). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction revealed that lauric acid bound more strongly to starch than did stearic acid and oleic acid, and the binding capacity of fatty acids with starch was stronger than that of glycerides. The presence of HACS during extrusion facilitated increased formation of starch-lipid complexes. Evaluations of cooking quality and digestion characteristics showed that EBNs containing 20% HACS and 0.5% glycerol monooleate demonstrated the lowest cooking loss (7.28%), and that with 20% HACS and 0.5% oleic acid displayed the lowest predicted glycemic index (pGI) (63.54) and highest resistant starch (RS) content (51.64%). However, excessive starch-lipid complexes were detrimental to EBNs cooking quality and the resistance of starch to digestive enzymes because of the damage to the continuity of the starch gel network. This study establishes a fundamental basis for the development of EBNs with superior cooking quality and a relatively lower GI.

In the rosid species Arabidopsis thaliana, the AP2-type AP2 transcription factor (TF) is required for specifying the sepals and petals identities and confers a major A-function to antagonize the C-function in the outer floral whorls. In the asterid species Petunia, the AP2-type ROB TFs are required for perianth and pistil development, as well as repressing the B-function together with TOE-type TF BEN. In Long-homostyle (LH) Fagopyrum esculentum, VIGS-silencing showed that FaesAP2 is mainly involved in controlling filament and style length, but FaesTOE is mainly involved in regulating filament length and pollen grain development. Both FaesAP2 (AP2-type) and FaesTOE (TOE-type) are redundantly involved in style and/or filament length determination instead of perianth development. However, neither FaesAP2 nor FaesTOE could directly repress the B and/or C class genes in common buckwheat. Moreover, the FaesAP1_2 silenced flower showed tepal numbers, and filament length decreased obviously. Interestingly, yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and dual-luciferase reporter (DR) further suggested that FaesTOE directly up-regulates FaesAP1_2 to be involved in filament length determination in LH common buckwheat. Moreover, the knockdown of FaesTOE expression could result in expression down-regulation of the directly target FaesAP1_2 in the FaesTOE-silenced LH plants. Our findings uncover a stamen development pathway in common buckwheat and offer deeper insight into the functional evolution of AP2 orthologs in the early-diverging core eudicots.

Soil pollution by microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles <5 mm, and heavy metals is a significant environmental issue. However, studies on the co-contamination effects of MPs and heavy metals on buckwheat rhizosphere microorganisms, especially on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community, are limited. We introduced low (0.01 g kg-1) and high doses of lead (Pb) (2 g kg-1) along with polyethylene (PE) and polylactic acid (PLA) MPs, both individually and in combination, into soil and assessed soil properties, buckwheat growth, and rhizosphere bacterial and AMF communities in a 40-day pot experiment. Notable alterations were observed in soil properties such as pH, alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), and the available Pb (APb). High-dose Pb combined with PLA-MPs hindered buckwheat growth. Compared to the control, bacterial Chao1 richness and Shannon diversity were lower in the high dose Pb with PLA treatment, and differentially abundant bacteria were mainly detected in the high Pb dose treatments. Variations in bacterial communities correlated with APb, pH and AN. Overall, the AMF community composition remained largely consistent across all treatments. This phenomenon may be due to fungi having lower nutritional demands than bacteria. Stochastic processes played a relatively important role in the assembly of both bacterial and AMF communities. In summary, MPs appeared to amplify both the positive and negative effects of high Pb doses on the buckwheat rhizosphere bacteria.

To investigate the response and the regulatory mechanism of common buckwheat starch, amylose, and amylopectin biosynthesis to P management strategies, field experiments were conducted in 2021 and 2022 using three phosphorus (P) levels. Results revealed that the application of 75 kg hm-2 phosphate fertilizer significantly enhanced amylopectin and total starch content in common buckwheat, leading to improved grain weight and starch yield, and decreased starch granule size. The number of upregulated differentially expressed proteins induced by phosphate fertilizer increased with the application rate, with 56 proteins identified as shared differential proteins between different P levels, primarily associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Phosphate fertilizer inhibited amylose synthesis by downregulating granule-bound starch synthase protein expression and promoted amylopectin accumulation by upregulating 1,4-alpha-glucan branching enzyme and starch synthase proteins expression. Additionally, Phosphate fertilizer primarily promoted the accumulation of hydrophobic and essential amino acids. These findings elucidate the mechanism of P-induced starch accumulation and offer insights into phosphate fertilizer management and high-quality cultivation of common buckwheat.

In this study, the protein structural, foaming, and air-water interfacial properties in dough liquor (DL) ultracentrifugated from buckwheat sourdough with different concentrations of an alkali (1.0-2.5% of sodium bicarbonate) were investigated. Results showed that the alkali led to the cross-linking of protein disulfide bonds through the oxidation of free sulfhydryl groups in DL. The alterations in protein secondary and tertiary structures revealed that the alkali caused the proteins in DL to fold, decreased the hydrophobicity, and led to a less flexible but compact structure. The alkali accelerated the diffusion of proteins and decreased the surface tension of DL. In addition, the alkali notably improved the foam stability by up to 34.08% at 2.5% concentration, mainly by increasing the net charge, reducing the bubble size, and strengthening the viscoelasticity of interfacial protein films. Quantitative proteomic analysis showed that histones and puroindolines of wheat and 13S globulin of buckwheat were closely related to the changes in the alkali-induced foaming properties. This study sheds light on the mechanism of alkali-induced improvement in gas cell stabilization and the buckwheat sourdough steamed bread quality from the aspect of the liquid lamella.

This study aimed to investigate the integration of cereal and germinated pseudocereals into set-type yogurt mimic, resulting in a novel and nutritious product. Four groups of yogurts mimic, namely CPY-1, CPY-2, CPY-3, and CPY-4, were prepared using different probiotic cultures, including L. acidophilus 21, L. plantarum 14, and L. rhamnosus 296 along with starter cultures. Notably, CPY-2 cultured with L. plantarum and L. rhamnosus and incubated for 12 h exhibited the most desirable attributes. The resulting yogurt demonstrated an acidity of 0.65%, pH of 4.37 and a probiotic count of 6.38 log CFU/mL. The logistic growth model fit revealed maximum growth rates (k, 1/h) and maximum bacterial counts (Nm log CFU/mL) for each CPY variant. The results revealed that CPY-2 significantly improved protein, dietary fiber, phenols and antioxidant capacities compared to the control. Scanning electron microscopy showed more structured and compact casein network in CPY-2, highlighting its superior textural characteristics. Overall, this study demonstrates the incorporation of cereal and germinated pseudocereals into set-type yogurt mimic offers health benefits through increased dietary fiber and β-glucan.

The research focused on the fabrication of composite coatings using buckwheat starch (BS) and xanthan gum (XG) with incorporation of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) essential oil (LEO) with varying concentration (0.75 %, 1.0 % and 1.25 % (w/v). BS was extracted from buckwheat groats (Fagopyrum esculentum) and its physico-chemical characteristics were determined. BS showed spherical and polygonal morphology and its XRD pattern was similar to starch extracted from other cereal sources. The amount of reducing sugar, starch and amylose content in extracted BS were 0.99 ± 0.33 %, 86.32 ± 0.22 % and 21.02 ± 1.89 % respectively, which indicates that BS is a suitable base material for the formation of edible coatings. XG was mixed with BS in different ratios (1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1) to optimize the best ratio of combination for composite coatings. The coating with a ratio of 2:1 was very smooth and was chosen for incorporation of LEO and the coatings physical, functional, mechanical, thermal and micro-structural characteristics were examined. The coating S5 with 1.25 % (w/v) concentration of LEO showed the best results with least moisture content (MC), minimum water vapor permeability (WVP) and maximum contact angle value. Moreover, the S5 formulation had the highest antioxidant (73.3 %) ability and maximum antimicrobial efficiency with inhibition zones of 22.09 ± 0.06 mm and 28.65 ± 0.14 mm against S. aureus and E. coli respectively. The coatings were then coated on plum fruit, and various parameters like weight loss, pH, shrinkage and TSS were calculated every 4th day during the 20 days of refrigeration period. The coated plums\' ripening pace was delayed by the S5 formulation which improved moisture retention, maintained the plums\' TSS value and overall pH. Therefore, composite coatings made up of BS, XG and 1.25 % (w/v) can be used as a cost-effective bio-active coating material for plum preservation under refrigeration conditions.