Buckwheat sprout is used as vegetable, and also flour for making noodles, and so on. Currently, information about tissue culture in buckwheat is limited and restricted to micropropagation. We carried out somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration using hypocotyl segments as explant of the cultivated buckwheat species Fagopyrum esculentum, differs from existing studies in the growth regulator combinations used. Maximum callus regeneration was induced on MS medium containing 2,4-D(2.0 mg/L) and benzylaminopurine BAP (1.0 mg/L) and 3% sucrose. Friable callus was transferred to solidified MS media containing BAP (1.0 mg/L) and at various concentrations for the induction of embryogensis. The optimum concentrations of additives were IAA (2 mg/L), KIN(1.0 mg/L), BAP (1.0 mg/L), and 3% (w/v) sucrose. Only 2,4-D did not show any significant effect on callus induction or embryogenesis. Regeneration of embryonic callus varied from 5 % to 20%. Whole plants were obtained at high frequencies when the embryogenic calluses with somatic embryos and organized shoot primordia were transferred to MS media with 3% sucrose. Regenerated plants after acclimation will transfer to green house. The main objective of this research was to develop a efficient protocol for plant regeneration for common buckwheat, and to apply in future for genetic transformation.

Comparison of the distribution and utilization of free amino acids in buckwheat is required of understanding the amino acid metabolism. The buckwheat sprouts contained the most abundant amino acid Val (40%) followed by Tyr (28%) in common buckwheat (CB), whereas Val was the most predominant amino acid in tatary buckwheat (TB), accounting for 62%. The buckwheat stem and root contained commonly Gln (40~42% in stem; 30~37% in root). Thus, soluble amino nitrogen source is used for Gln in buckwheat. The main difference of amino acid distribution in three tissues between CB and TB was Tyr in sprouts. Low level of Tyr in TB is presumably resulted from the conversion to other phenolic metabolites. The content of essential free amino acids in TB sprout was 53% higher than that in CB. Thus, the TB sprouts are benefit to the human nutrition. The basic study of amino acids gives a clear evidence for different interconversion and metabolism of amino acids in two buckwheat species.

Buckwheat sprouts are a vegetable which provides health benefit with their nutritionally important substances. Buckwheat has been considered as preventive medicine in the last decade. The present study was focused on the reference maps common (Fagopyrum esculentum Möench.) and tatary(Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) buckwheat leaf and stem cultured in light and dark condition. Proteins were extracted from 7-day germinated buckwheat sprout sand separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis(2-DE) with isoelectro focusing gel over pH3 to 10. A total of more than 1520 protein spots were revealed on 2-DE gel, in which 165 proteins were identified in the basis of peptide mass fingerprinting. Functional category analysis indicated that these differentially expressed proteins mainly involved in cellular process, defense responsive, energy production, metabolism, photosynthesis, DNA recombination, DNA replication, seed storage, signal transduction, stress responsive, transcription, translation, and energy transport proteins. The pattern at protein level suggested the important roles for energy and protein metabolism-related proteins in growing sprouts under dark and light condition, accompanied by the activated of the stress responsive and growth condition. The proteomic profiling of common and tatary buckwheat will give insight for understanding buckwheat physiology and application to buckwheat industry.