Comparative 1D- and 2D-electrophoretic protein profiles of ancestral and modern buckwheat seeds grown in the Italian Alpine region

Capraro J., Magni C., Giorgi A., Duranti M., Scarafoni A.

Buckwheat is an old crop whose seeds protein composition candidates these under-utilised seeds as much needed ingredients for the production of gluten-free products. Several buckwheat species and local cultivars are known worldwide. In this work we used 1D and 2D electrophoresis to characterize and compare the seed protein profiles of two buckwheat species (Fagopyrum esculentum and Fagopyrum tataricum). The two analyzed cultivars of F. esculentum represent authentic landraces of an Italian Alpine valley, named Valtellina. The protein profiles of F. tataricum and the two F. esculentum cultivars didn’t show major differences. However, narrow but significant differences were present also between these two landraces, allowing their discrimination at protein level. This work represents a molecular based approach for the designation of origin and authenticity of local buckwheat varieties and tracing them in flours for human food.