Investigation of fagopyrum esculentum moench for essential oils, fatty acids and biological activity

Chemical compositions of volatiles and fatty acids from leaf, flower, stem, seed and hull parts of Gunes and Sumcanka sorts of Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. grown in transition climate of Eskisehir-Kutahya region, were investigated. The leaf and flower oils and methanol extracts from the both plant sorts were subjected to evaluation for biological activity tests. In scope of the project, the essential oils were obtained with hydrodistillation method from different plant parts. GC/FID and GC-MS techniques were applied for investigation of the chemical compositions. Hexadecanoic acid (%32.7-83.6) predominated in the profile of all the oils tested. Dodecanoic and tetradecanoic acids were also detected in high amounts. Sesquiterpene hexahydrofarnesyl acetone was detected in all the oils, while trans-calamenene was (%8.3) found only in the leaf oil of Gunes sort. During growing in field conditions the volatiles produced by the live plants were investigated with HS-SPME technique. The fatty acids were obtained with Folch method from the plant aerial parts and investigated by gas chromatographic techniques. Palmitic (%25.5), linoleic (%17.6) and linolenic (%25.4) acids were found as the main constituents. The flower and the leaf extracts were obtained from two buckwheat sorts by maceration technique and the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were evaluated spectrophotometrically. The essential oils and extracts were evaluated in vitro for antioxidant activity using free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant capacity assays. The effects of the oils and extracts on AChE enzyme were investigated by using TLC-autography and Ellman's methods. Free radical scavenging effect of the oil was found as weak (%Inh 9.5-19.9), while the extracts demonstrated significant activity (IC50 0.019-0.173 mg/mL). The leaf oils were found to be the most effective inhibitors of AChE enzyme (% Inh. 63.9-65.8). Keywords: Fagopyrum esculentum, Essential oil, Fatty acids, Activity, GC-MS.