Nutraceutical crop buckwheat: a concealed wealth in the lap of Himalayas

Buckwheat is a crop that has gained considerable interest worldwide due to its nutritional, economical, and pharmaceutical values. To ensure food and nutritional security in a scenario of global climate change, this pseudocereal is a competent alternative to staple crops. With rising knowledge regarding the nutraceutical potential, the popularity of this species is expected to increase further in coming years. The main bioactive component of this species is rutin that has been proven to have a wide range of health-promoting benefits. Due to breeding constraints, asynchronous maturity, seed shattering, and restricted distribution, this species holds the status of an underutilized or neglected crop in many parts of the world. In the North-western Himalayan zone, it is an integral part of local dietary intake and is grown as a second crop after harvesting barley and peas. Fagopyrum esculentum and F. tataricum are the species of buckwheat cultivated in the North-western Himalayas. However, more studies in the direction of conservation, utilization, and genetic amelioration of plant genetic resources are needed to sustain food security in Southeast Asia. The present review paper accentuates the multicore potential of buckwheat besides highlighting the commercial and pharmaceutical perspective. This article also focuses on the conservation and sustainable utilization of Himalayan gene pools, desirable agronomic traits, and genetic diversity besides focusing on the biochemical and molecular response of Fagopyrum to biotic and abiotic stress including modulation of the rutin content. The role of biotechnological interventions and future prospects are also summarized.