Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is an annual spring-emerging crop that is classified among dicotyledons, yet due to the manner of its cultivation, use, and chemical composition of seeds. The use of buckwheat straw for energy purposes, for example, for the production of second generation bioethanol might enable its wider application and increase the cost-effectiveness of tillage. In this study, we examined the usability of buckwheat straw for the production of bioethanol. We pretreated the raw material with using ionic liquids and subsequently performed enzymatic hydrolysis and alcoholic fermentation. The obtained chemometric data was analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression model. PLS regression in combination with the spectral analysis within near-infrared (NIR) spectrum allowed for the rapid determination of amount of cellulose in the raw material and also provided information on the changes taking place in its structure. According to our results, we obtained good results for the combination of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate as the ionic liquid and Cellic CTec2 and the enzymatic preparation for the pretreatment of buckwheat straw. The highest concentration of glucose following 72 hours of enzymatic hydrolysis was found to be around 5.5 g/dm3. The highest concentration of ethanol (3.31 g/dm3) was obtained with the combination of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate for the pretreatment and the cellulase from Trichoderma reesei for enzymatic hydrolysis. In summary, the efficiency of the fermentation process is strictly associated with the pool of available fermenting sugars, and it depends on the type of ionic liquid used during the pretreatment and on the enzymatic preparation. It is possible to obtain bioethanol from buckwheat straw using ionic liquid for the pretreatment of the raw material prior to the enzymatic hydrolysis and alcoholic fermentation of the material.

Buckwheat is returning to the countries of Central Europe. There are several reasons for this: firstly, because of its interesting chemical composition, which is reflected in its nutritional value and potential health benefits. And secondly because buckwheat, and especially buckwheat flour, are suitable raw materials for the production of gluten-free foods. Buckwheat flours are classified similarly to wheat flours, but the different anatomy of wheat grains and buckwheat seeds makes this classification partly misleading. While wheat flours are largely produced by one standard process, the production process for buckwheat flours is more varied. For wheat and wheat flours, the basic quality parameters and their required ranges for different types of primary and secondary processing are clearly defined. This is not the case for buckwheat and buckwheat flours, and the definition of the parameters and their ranges that characterize its technological quality remain unclear. The standardization of quality parameters and production processes is likely to be necessary for the potential expansion of the use of buckwheat for food production and in particular for bakery products.

The effects of buckwheat intake on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have not been systematically investigated. The aim of the present study was to comprehensively summarise studies in humans and animals evaluating the impact of buckwheat consumption on CVD risk markers and to conduct a meta-analysis of relevant data. Thirteen randomised, controlled human studies, two cross-sectional human studies and twenty-one animal studies were identified. Using random effects models, the weighted mean difference of post-intervention concentrations of blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly decreased following buckwheat intervention compared with controls [differences in blood glucose: -0.85 mmol/L (95% CI: -1.31, -0.39), total cholesterol: 0.50 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.80, -0.20) and triglycerides: 0.25 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.49, -0.02)]. Responses of a similar magnitude were seen in two cross-sectional studies. For animal studies, nineteen of twenty-one studies showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol of between 12 and 54%, and fourteen of twenty studies showed a significant reduction in triglycerides of between 2 and 74%. All exhibited high unexplained heterogeneity. There was inconsistency in HDL cholesterol outcomes in both human and animal studies. It remains unclear whether increased buckwheat intake significantly benefits other markers of CVD risk, such as weight, blood pressure, insulin, and LDL-cholesterol, and underlying mechanisms responsible for any effects are unclear.