Speranza Anna R, Ghidotti Francesca G, Barbiroli Alberto, Scarafoni Alessio, Limbo Sara, Iametti Stefania
Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jul 31;26(15):7407. doi: 10.3390/ijms26157407.
Buckwheat, a gluten-free pseudocereal, is rich in dietary fiber, minerals, high-quality proteins, vitamins, and essential amino acids. Buckwheat husk, a by-product of dehulling, contains high levels of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and dietary fibers. This study compares green extraction methods (ultrasound-assisted extraction, UAE; and microwave-assisted extraction, MAE) for recovering polyphenols from buckwheat husk. MAE improved polyphenol yield by 43.6% compared to conventional acidified methanol extraction. Structural and chemical analyses of the residual husk material using SEM, FTIR, and fiber analysis revealed that MAE alters husk properties, enhancing polyphenol accessibility. Thus, MAE appears an efficient and sustainable alternative to acid- and solvent-based extraction techniques. Extracts obtained via "green" methods retained strong antioxidant activity and showed significant modulation of inflammatory markers in human Caco-2 cells, highlighting the potential use of "green" buckwheat husk extracts for food and pharma applications. This work supports the valorization of buckwheat husk within a circular economy framework, promoting buckwheat husk as a valuable raw material for bioactive compound recovery in diverse applications.
荞麦是一种不含麸质的假谷物，富含膳食纤维、矿物质、优质蛋白质、维生素和必需氨基酸。荞麦壳是去壳后的副产品，含有高水平的生物活性化合物，如多酚和膳食纤维。本研究比较了从荞麦壳中提取多酚的绿色提取方法（超声辅助提取，UAE；和微波辅助提取，MAE）。与传统的酸化甲醇提取相比，MAE使多酚产量提高了43.6%。使用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）和纤维分析对残留壳材料进行的结构和化学分析表明，MAE改变了壳的性质，提高了多酚的可及性。因此，MAE似乎是基于酸和溶剂的提取技术的一种高效且可持续的替代方法。通过“绿色”方法获得的提取物保留了较强的抗氧化活性，并在人Caco-2细胞中显示出对炎症标志物的显著调节作用，突出了“绿色”荞麦壳提取物在食品和制药应用中的潜在用途。这项工作支持在循环经济框架内对荞麦壳进行增值利用，将荞麦壳推广为在各种应用中回收生物活性化合物的宝贵原料。
