Background: Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp., Polygonaceae) is a widely planted food crop. Flavonoids, including quercetin, rutin, and kaempferol, are the main bioactive components in tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn). From the nutriological and pharmacological perspectives, flavonoids have great value in controlling blood glucose and blood pressure levels, and they also have antioxidant properties.
Objective: To optimize the conditions for extraction of quercetin, rutin, and kaempferol from F. tataricum.
Materials and methods: A combination of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and response surface methodology (RSM) was used for flavonoid extraction and yield assessment. The RSM was based on a three-level, three-variable Box-Behnken design.
Results: Flavonoids were optimally extracted from F. tataricum by using 72% methanol, at 60°C, for 21 minutes. Under these conditions, the obtained extraction yield of the total flavonoids was 3.94%.
Conclusion: The results indicated that the UAE method was effective for extraction of flavonoids from tartary buckwheat.
Keywords: Buckwheat; Fagopyrum tataricum; flavonoids; response surface methodology; ultrasound-assisted extraction.