The Lipid-Soluble Bioactive Substances of Fagopyrum esculentum Varieties under Different Tillage and Nitrogen Fertilisation

Yield and grain composition play an important role in food production. The aim of this study was to determine the content of phytosterols, squalene, and tocopherols in four varieties of common buckwheat grains: Kora, Panda, Smuga, and Korona depending on the tillage and nitrogen doses employed. The grains were cultivated at the Experimental Station of the State Research Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation in Osiny, Poland, with plow tillage, without plow tillage cultivation, and with nitrogen fertilizers (0, 50, and 100 kg N-2 ha(-1)). Gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer was used to assess all the parameters studied. The cultivation methods did not affect the levels of phytosterols, tocopherols, and squalene, but the highest levels of phytosterols were seen in the Kora variety with 50 kg N-2 ha(-1) (ranging from 1198 mu g to 1800 mu g center dot g(-1) of sample weight); therefore, the variety was the best source of phytosterols investigated.

Automated summary

This study investigated the content of phytosterols, squalene, and tocopherols in four varieties of common buckwheat grains and analyzed the effects of different tillage and nitrogen doses on grain yield and composition.