Influence of Processing Treatments on Nutritional and Physicochemical Characteristics of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)

Background: Buckwheat is now becoming increasingly popular due to its health benefits. The most attractive feature of its seeds are gluten-free with high-quality protein and presence of bioactive compounds with health-promoting effects. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of processing treatments on nutritional and physicochemical properties of buckwheat which would further be utilized for the production of a varied range of novel products. Methods: The different processing treatments such as cooking, fermentation, and germination were given to buckwheat seeds. The native and processed buckwheat were then analyzed for their nutritional properties such as moisture, ash, fat, crude fiber, protein, total phenol, tannin and phytate content using standard methods. The physicochemical properties were also determined using standard methods. Results: Processing treatments significantly (p≤0.05) reduces the tannin and phytate content and significantly (p≤0.05) increases the total phenol content. Also, processing had a varied effect on Water Absorption Capacity (WAC), Oil Absorption Capacity (OAC), least gelation concentration and bulk density. The WAC and OAC of buckwheat flours were significantly (p≤0.05) varied from 2.15 to 3.89 g/g and 1.96 to 2.32 g/g, respectively. Conclusion: The changes observed in physicochemical properties of buckwheat flour after processing treatments provided a crucial basis for its potential applications on an industrial scale.