Abstract
To study physiological roles of anthocyanins in the sprouts of common (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum), we performed structural identification of them, and then investigated varietal differences of its concentrations using 19 cultivars. Buckwheat sprouts contained 0.67- 1.17 mg / g.d.w. of anthocyanins. They were mono- or di- glycosylated forms of cyanidin. Tartary buckwheat sprouts contained 0.29 - 0.60 mg / g.d.w. of anthocyanins. Their structures were same as that found in common buckwheat sprouts except for absence of a galactopyranoside. The mutant line, which contained high amount of anthocyanins (50.0 mg / g.d.w.), can accumulate it even grown in the darkness (27.7 mg / g.d.w.) whereas cultivars cannot. Anthocyanins were distributed in the epidermis of cotyledons and hypocotyls. It indicates that anthocyanin in buckwheat sprout would have a role of UV screen.
