Can Buckwheat Affect Health and Female Reproductive Functions?

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Reproductive Biology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Buckwheat is recognized as a functional food plant with high nutritional value.
• It contains numerous regulatory molecules with potential therapeutic applications.
• Existing knowledge on buckwheat's reproductive effects is being synthesized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current knowledge on buckwheat's physiological and reproductive effects.
• To explore buckwheat's mechanisms of action on various biological targets.
• To identify future research directions for buckwheat as a functional food.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review adhering to PRISMA criteria was conducted.
• Literature search performed in Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS (1995-2023).
• Keywords included: buckwheat, review, fertility, ovarian, and mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Buckwheat exhibits high nutritional value and abundant regulatory molecules.
• These molecules influence diverse physiological processes through multiple signaling pathways.
• Buckwheat extracts directly impact fundamental ovarian cell functions like proliferation, apoptosis, viability, and steroidogenesis.

Conclusions:

• Buckwheat possesses therapeutic potential due to its rich composition and signaling molecule content.
• Evidence suggests direct effects of buckwheat on ovarian cell functions.
• Further studies are essential to elucidate the specific influence of buckwheat on female reproductive processes.