Low concentration of sodium bicarbonate improves the bioactive compound levels and antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of tartary buckwheat sprouts

•Treatment with NaHCO3 enhanced the healthy value of tartary buckwheat sprouts (TBS).•TBS grown with 0.05% NaHCO3 for 96 h had highest flavonoids & total phenolics levels.•The DCI content in TBS with 0.05% NaHCO3 increased 766.21% from 0 h to 96 h.•TBS could be used to prevent diseases related to oxidation stress and hyperglycaemia.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) on the accumulation of flavonoids, total phenolics and d-chiro-inositol (DCI), as well as the antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, in tartary buckwheat sprouts. Treatment with low concentrations of NaHCO3 (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2%) resulted in an increase in flavonoids, total phenolic compounds and DCI concentrations, and improved DPPH radical-scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibition activities compared with the control (0%). The highest levels of total flavonoids (26.69 mg/g DW), individual flavonoids (rutin, isoquercitrin, quercetin, and kaempferol), total phenolic compounds (29.31 mg/g DW), DCI (12.56 mg/g DW), as well as antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition activities, were observed in tartary buckwheat sprouts treated with 0.05% NaHCO3 for 96 h. These results indicated that appropriate treatment with NaHCO3 could improve the healthy benefits of tartary buckwheat sprouts.