No abstract

Thirty nine buckwheat cultivars were collected from China, of which twenty one were tartary buckwheat and others were common buckwheat. Flour samples from these cultivars were analysed for colour properties, nutritional composition and flavonoid content. Buckwheat cultivars exhibited high variations for each of these parameters. The flour of common buckwheat showed a higher whiteness index than that of tartary buckwheat and contained very low levels of flavonoids. On average, the tartary buckwheat flour contained a higher level of ash (2.38%) and lower levels of total starch (70.22%), amylose (22.32%), resistant starch (17.66%) than the common buckwheat flour (2.17%, 73.69%, 23.01%, 18.69% respectively) (P < 0.05) whereas the contents of proteins, fats and crude fibres of the tartary buckwheat flour were similar to those of common buckwheat flour. The Mei-Hua-Shan tartary buckwheat flour contained the highest level of total flavonoids and quercetin (22.74 mg g )1 and 2.38 mg g )1 , respectively).

Most of the biomedical materials printed using 3D bioprinting are static and are unable to alter/transform with dynamic changes in the internal environment of the body. The emergence of four-dimensional (4D) printing addresses this problem. By preprogramming dynamic polymer materials and their nanocomposites, 4D printing is able to produce the desired shapes or transform functions under specific conditions or stimuli to better adapt to the surrounding environment. In this review, the current and potential applications of 4D-printed materials are introduced in different aspects of the biomedical field, e.g., tissue engineering, drug delivery, and sensors. In addition, the existing limitations and possible solutions are discussed. Finally, the current limitations of 4D-printed materials along with their future perspective are presented to provide a basis for future research.

D-chiro-inositol (DCI) is an active compound in tartary buckwheat [Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaench] with an insulin-like bioactivity. The present study was performed to (i) prepare DCI-enriched tartary buckwheat bran extract (TBBE), (ii) evaluate its acute toxicity in mice, and (iii) examine its blood glucose lowering activity in diabetic mice. It was found that steaming buckwheat bran in an autoclave at 1.6 MPa and 120 degrees C for 60 min could significantly enrich the DCI level in TBBE from 0.03 to 0.22% and further to 22% after passage of the TBBE through activated carbon and ion exchange resins. An acute toxicity test demonstrated that the LD 50 of TBBE was >20 g/kg of body weight in mice, suggesting that TBBE was in general nontoxic and safe in mice. Male KK-A(y) mice (type 2 diabetic) and C57BL/6 mice (the control) were used to investigate the antidiabetic activity of TBBE. In KK-A(y) mice, the blood glucose, plasma C-peptide, glucagon, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were significantly higher than those in the C57BL/6 mice. In addition, KK-A(y) mice showed an obvious decrease in insulin immunoreactivity in the pancreas. The present study clearly demonstrated that oral administration of DCI-enriched TBBE could lower plasma glucose, C-peptide, glucagon, triglyceride, and BUN, improve glucose tolerance, and enhance insulin immunoreactivity in KK-A(y) mice.