Some species of the genus Fagopyrum: chemical composition, pharmacological effects, prospects of use

Abstract

This review analyzes and summarizes the information of research by domestic and foreign scientists on the chemical composition, pharmacological activity of metabolites of plants of the genus Fagopyrum. The genus Fagopyrum, a member of the Polygonaceae family, includes 15 species, most of them are cultivated on an industrial scale on the territory of the Russian Federation, China, India, Indonesia and North American countries. The greatest interest in medicine and pharmacy is represented by four types of buckwheat: seed buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and Tatar buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum), perennial buckwheat (Fagopyrum dibotrys) and red-stem buckwheat (Fagopyrum rubricaulis). These types are widely used in traditional medicine of China, Tibet, the Russian Federation, for the treatment of lung diseases, skin, edematous syndromes and infectious diseases. Currently, more than 150 compounds related to flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, tannins, phagopyritols, triterpenoids, steroids, fatty acids, essential oils, alkaloids, anthraquinones, coumarins, vitamins, amino acids, macro- and microelements have been isolated and identified from the studied buckwheat species. Extracts and isolated individual compounds have a wide range of pharmacological effects: antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, antiallergic, antibacterial, angioprotective and adaptogenic. The information given in the review indicates that plants of the genus Fagopyrum are promising for further study and use in various industries.