BIOACTIVATED BUCKWHEAT IN TERMS OF ITS NUTRITIONAL VALUEBIOACTIVATED BUCKWHEAT IN TERMS OF ITS NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Abstract

Buckwheat is a gluten-free pseudocereal crop consumed as functional food in some regions. Traditionally, buckwheat grain is used to make buckwheat groats and flour. Bioactivation improves the nutritional value of buckwheat grain by activating hydrolytic enzymes that make nutrients available for the plant’s growth and for the human body. The article contains research on the content of nutrients in bioactivated buckwheat grain of the Kupava variety grown in Belarus. The study examined hulled buckwheat kernels (not steamed) of the botanical variety Kupava, cream-coloured with a greenish hue, with the humidity 12.0%, and with the proportion of sound kernels 99.4%. At the first stage of germination, bioactivated buckwheat grain was obtained in 48 hours. It had the following characteristics: humidity (39.2±1.0)%, sprout size (2.0±0.5) mm. According to the organoleptic parameters, the grain had a pleasant sweetish taste and a subtle nutty aftertaste. The components of bioactivated buckwheat grain that provide a person with the largest amounts of macronutrients are starch (31.84±0.6)%, sugars (5.1±0.3)%, and protein (5.67±0.02)%. Bioactivated buckwheat grain contains all essential amino acids (30.5% of the total quantity of amino acids). The limiting amino acid is threonine (amino acid score 31.7%). Of nonessential amino acids, there is a high content of glutamic acid (1.0972 g per 100 g). The difference ratio of the amino acid score is 54.75%, the potential biological value of the protein is 45.25%. 100 g of sprouted buckwheat grain contains 48.5% of the daily requirement of manganese, 24.0% of copper, 18.9% and 34.0% of iron (for women and for men respectively), about 23.0% of the daily requirement of vitamin B1, and 12.7% of the daily requirement of vitamin E. Besides, bioactivated buckwheat grain contains fibre (6.5% of the daily requirement on average). Bioactivated buckwheat grain can be consumed as a meal in its own right, as a side dish, as an additive to salads and fermented dairy products, or as a dessert when mixed with fruit purée, honey, or dried fruit.