Fatty acid composition of buckwheat seed

The embryo, endosperm, testa and pericarp from seeds of three buckwheat species were analyzed for total lipid content and fatty acid composition. The average lipid content of these tissues was 8.2%, 0.4%, 2.0% and 0.5%, respectively. Eighteen fatty acids were tentatively identified in buckwheat oil. The following eight constituted an average of more than 93% of the total acids: palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, arachidic, behenic and lignoceric acids. The embryo tissue of cultivated and Tartary buckwheats contained the fewest minor acids with an average of 95% of the acids containing either 16 or 18 carbons. The pericarp, or hull, had a unique composition with higher levels of saturated acids, odd carbon acids and acids of 20 or more carbons than any other tissues. The compositions of the testa and endorsperm were intermediate.