Free amino acids, fatty acids and phenolic compounds in Tartary buckwheat of different hull colour

In this paper, free amino acids, fatty acids, and phenolic compounds in buckwheat of different hull colour were quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UV), respectively. A total of 20 free amino acids, 8 fatty acids, and 6 phenolic compounds were detected in Tartary buckwheat flour and bran. The data on concentrations were subjected to common chemometric analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), to gain better understanding of the differences between the tested samples. Results indicated that most of the free amino acids, fatty acids, and phenolic compounds were higher in bran than in flour, and there is no significant difference in respect to the hull colour. Our results may be helpful for quality control in Tartary buckwheat and its products in the future.