The distribution of D-chiro-inositol in buckwheat and its antioxidative effect in HepG2

Epidemiological studies have shown that D-chiro-inositol (DCI) has multiple health effects in humans. Buckwheat , a nutritional staple crop, is a dietary source of DCI. We established a new economic method to accurately detect DCI content in buckwheat samples and investigated the antioxidant effect of DCI. In this study, we analyzed the content and form of DCI in buckwheat with different varieties, growth stages, and milled parts of seeds using pre-column derivatization and high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection. The total DCI content of ZK-2 and DT-1 was the highest. During buckwheat growth, DCI content was the highest in mature leaves. DCI was mainly in bound form in flowers and grains and mainly in free form in roots and stems. The highest content of DCI was 60–100-mesh in size in buckwheat grains. The results of cell experiments showed that DCI can inhibit the oxidative stress of HepG2 cells induced by palmitic acid (PA). This study will assist in the processing and utilization of buckwheat and provide an important basis for the scientific and effective use of D-chiro-inositol resources to increase the maximization of buckwheat resources.