Optimal recovery of high-purity rutin crystals from the whole plant of Fagopyrum esculentum Moench (buckwheat) by extraction, fractionation, and recrystallization

Rutin, one of the flavonoids derived from plants, is increasingly in demand in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries due to its various biological and physiological activities including antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and anti-hypertension. The whole plant of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is a major source of natural rutin. This study developed a low-cost process encompassing the efficient extraction, fractionation, and recrystallization to obtain high-purity rutin from buckwheat, and it could improve the economic utilization of this abundant low-value agricultural product. The sequential separation and purification procedures established in this study involved extraction with 50% (v/v) aqueous ethanol at 80 °C for 1 h followed by elution with water and aqueous ethanols at 20% and 30% (v/v) on a styrene-based resin column, and recrystallization at 4 °C for 12 h. These conditions resulted in the recovery of 92% of total rutin with over 95% purity. In the present study, high-purity rutin was obtained from whole buckwheat through low-cost processes, the separation and purification strategy established in this study could provide valuable information to the relevant industries.