Biosynthesis and Accumulation of Flavonoids in Fagopyrum spp

Buckwheat is a multipurpose crop used for both grains and greens and known to have several medicinal and nutritional properties. Buckwheat contains flavonoids such as rutin, anthocyanins, catechins, chlorogenic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid, caffeic acid, epicatechins, p-courmaric acid, ferulic acid etc. Fagopyrum esculentum and Fagopyrum tataricum are the major source of flavonoid called rutin. Seeds of F. tataricum contains higher rutin content in comparison to F. esculentum. This review discusses the physiological and molecular basis of flavonoid biosynthesis and accumulation in plants in general and rutin and anthocyanin content in Fagopyrum species, its correlation with the expression of flavonoid pathway genes and the effect of different environmental factors on flavonoid biosynthesis. The understanding of rutin biosynthesis in buckwheat is expected to supplement for genetic improvement of buckwheat for higher nutritional value. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________