Bioenhancing effect of Fagopyrum Esculentum (Buckwheat) in hypertensive patients

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is also known as common buckwheat or kuttu ka atta, which belongs to the polygonaceae family. Owing to the presence of antioxidants and phytochemicals such as quercetin, rutin, epicatechinyldimethyllate, Buckwheat has been shown to be useful for treating hypertension , hyperlipidemia, diabetes, cancer as well as celiac disease. It is rich in complex carbohydrate, about 100 gm of buckwheat provide 343 calories, 3.4 gm lipid, 71.5 gm of carbohydrate & 10 gm of fibre. Buckwheat flour has the highest protein (19.0 gm) content among all cereals. The amino acids in buckwheat protein are well-balanced & rich in lysine, methionine, histidine & tryptophan, which are lacking in wheat & barley. Buckwheat diet products exert a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, by having a positive impact on blood pressure, blood glucose, insulin, lipids etc. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of buckwheat flour on newly diagnosed stage 1 and 2 adult hypertensive patients along with the standard of care treatment. About 100 gm of Buckwheat flour was given in the form of flatbread orally for 3 months to the study (case group) subjects. The control group was advised to follow only lifestyle modification and antihypertensive medication amlodipine. Biochemical (lipid profile), anthropometric (weight), and clinical (blood pressure, pulse rate) parameters were recorded at baseline and after 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks for both groups. At the end of 12 weeks, biochemical, anthropometric, and clinical parameters improved in the cases as compared to controls. For the pharmacokinetics study patient blood samples were drawn from the control as well as case group after 7 days from the date of enrolment at different points plots against drug concentration. A pharmacokinetics study performed which indicates that the drug concentration was more in the case group (with buckwheat) as compared to the control group (without buckwheat), showing that buckwheat may increase drugs retention time in the blood more effectively reducing blood pressure and improving the lipid profile. Further studies with a large sample size are required to validate the findings.