"What Is Sea Buckthorn, and What Benefits Does It Have"?

"What Is Sea Buckthorn, and What Benefits Does It Have"?

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), an ancient miraculous plant, is of great interest because of its tenacity, richness in nutritional active substances, and biological activity. Hippophae L. originated in the Hengduan Mountains and East Himalayas area and is widely distributed in the temperate regions of Eurasia (). Every part of this plant (fruits, leaves, stems, branches, roots, and thorns) has been traditionally used in medicine, nutritional supplement, soil and moisture conservation, and the establishment of wildlife habitats. Therefore, sea buckthorn is popularly known as “Wonder Plant,” “Golden Bush,” or “Gold Mine” ().
Sea buckthorn contains nearly 200 nutritional and bioactive compounds and is known as a “natural vitamin treasure house” and a “source of nutrition and health care” (, ). Sea buckthorn is therefore widely used by the food industry in the preparation of breads, yogurts, jams, beverages, teas and other products (–). The medicinal value of sea buckthorn has been recorded in the Tibetan medical classic “Somaratsa,” dating back to as early as the first half of the eighth century (). Sea buckthorn has been extensively exploited in the folklore treatment of slow digestion, stomach malfunctioning, cardiovascular problems, liver injury, skin diseases, and ulcers (). In recent years, there have been numerous reports on the pharmacological activities of sea buckthorn, including its anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiviral activities, and its ability to act in cardiovascular protection (–). There is no doubt that sea buckthorn has great medicinal and therapeutic potential, which may be attributed to the fact that sea buckthorn contains several vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols, and fatty acids (–).

Nutrients and bioactive compounds

Sea buckthorn contains nearly 200 nutrients and bioactive components (). Many of the components are well known for their health benefits. Vitamin C is a very important nutrient in sea buckthorn. Carotenoids and polyphenolic compounds, especially phenolic acids and flavonoids, are the main bioactive and antioxidant components of sea buckthorn (). The fatty acids, phytosterols, organic acids, amino acids, and minerals contained in sea buckthorn also play an important role. The nutrients and bioactive composition content of sea buckthorn influence its health value (). The nutritional and bioactive composition of sea buckthorn fruit varies considerably depending on genetic variation, the part analyzed, climatic, and growth conditions, year of harvest, degree of maturity, storage conditions, harvest time, and processing and analytic methods ()

 

Nutrients

Vitamins and minerals 

The quality of sea buckthorn fruit is often based on its nutritional value (). Known as a “natural treasure trove of vitamins,” sea buckthorn is undoubtedly rich in vitamins (). The vitamin C content of sea buckthorn fruits ranges from 52.86 to 896 mg/100 g (, ). It has been showed that the vitamin C content of 100 g of sea buckthorn berries (275 mg) is much higher than the equivalent quantity of mango (27.7 mg), apricot (10 mg), banana (8.7 mg), orange (50 mg), and peach (6.6 mg) (). In addition, sea buckthorn berries contain vitamin A, vitamin E, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. Mineral elements are involved in the formation of human tissues and the maintenance of normal physiological functions. Sea buckthorn berries contain many minerals, e.g., phosphorus, iron, magnesium, boron, calcium, aluminum, potassium and others (, ). Significant differences in the mineral content of sea buckthorn fruits have been reported at its different stages of maturity. The highest content of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus was found in ripe sea buckthorn fruits with 68.28, 145.67, and 457.7 mg/kg, respectively ().

 

Carbohydrates 

As the main component of dry matter, carbohydrates play numerous essential roles in living organisms. Monosaccharides are the main source of energy for human metabolism with polysaccharides acting as structural components and the main storage form of energy (). Sugar content determines the sweetness of the juice. It has been reported that sea buckthorn fruits contain 1.34–2.87 g/100 g FW of sugar. The sugar with the highest content is glucose, accounting for 86.58–92.68% of the total sugar content (). A study on the sugar composition of three German sea buckthorn varieties reported that the contents of glucose, fructose, and mannitol are 11.95–15.26 mg/mL, 1.75–6.75 mg/mL, and 1.32–6.21 mg/mL, respectively. The sugar content varies among varieties ().

 

Organic acids and amino acids 

Sea buckthorn fruit contains several organic acids and their derivatives. These organic acid derivatives can promote bone differentiation and contribute to the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts (). Different species of sea buckthorn have different types and concentrations of organic acids. For example, subspecies of Russian sea buckthorn exhibit relatively low total acidity, with organic acid concentrations of 2.1–3.2 g/100 mL. Finnish genotypes were in the middle, ranging from 4.2 to 6.5 g/100 mL, whereas Chinese genotypes showed the highest organic acid concentration, with values between 3.5 and 9.1 g/100 mL (). It has been reported that sea buckthorn juice contains nine organic acids, namely quinic acid, L-malic acid, D-malic acid, succinic acid, pyruvic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, formic acid, and citric acid (). Another study on six sea buckthorn varieties in Poland detected oxalic acid and isocitric acid ().

Furthermore, sea buckthorn is rich in amino acids, which are indispensable to the human body. Amino acids are the basic units that make up proteins and are closely related to life activities. Seventeen amino acids, including seven essential amino acids (threonine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and lysine), have been detected in sea buckthorn fruits (), leaves, branches and seeds (). The amino acid content in sea buckthorn seeds is 18.63%, in leaves 15.41%, in branches 11.62%, and in fruits 6.89%. The content of aspartic acid and glutamic acid were highest in sea buckthorn fruits, leaves, and branches, with 1.11 and 1.24% in fruits, 2.42 and 1.60% in leaves, and 3.71 and 0.97% in branches. The highest content of tyrosine and glutamic acid can be found in sea buckthorn seeds, at 4.72 and 3.42%, respectively ().

Bioactive compounds

 

Carotenoids 

Sea buckthorn fruits contain high levels of carotenoids, which give sea buckthorn its characteristic orange-yellow color. Carotenoids mainly act as antioxidants, although they also have other roles. For example, β-carotene is the precursor of vitamin A, and lutein/zeaxanthin constitutes the macular pigment of the eye (). Carotenoids are considered to have health benefits and can reduce the risk of diseases, especially cancers and eye diseases (). The content of carotenoids in different species and different parts of sea buckthorn varies greatly. Teleszko et al. () detected an average of 11 mg/100 g FW of total carotenoids in eight species of Russian sea buckthorn. In another study on six Romanian sea buckthorn varieties (H. rhamnoides ssp. carpatica), total carotenoid content ranged from 53 to 97 mg/100 g DW in berries, and ranged from 3.5 to 4.2 mg/100 g DW in leaves (). β-Carotene is the main carotenoid in sea buckthorn. The percentage of β-carotene is 15–55% in berries, and 26–34% in the peel, pulp, and seed oil (, ). In addition, carotenoids include γ-carotene, cis-lycopene, lycopene, cis-γ-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, and so on.

 

Polyphenols 

Polyphenols are the main compounds with antioxidant activity in sea buckthorn. It has been reported that the polyphenol content in the fruit ranges from 12.36 to 34.6 mg GAE/g (GAE, gallic acid equivalents), higher than that in oranges (1.27 mg GAE/g) mandarins (1.16 mg GAE/g), blueberries (2.19 mg GAE/g), sour cherries (2.56 mg GAE/g), and strawberries (1.12 mg GAE/g) (, , ). A recent review showed that nearly 100 polyphenolic compounds have been isolated and identified from sea buckthorn (). Polyphenols mainly include phenolic acids and flavonoids. Seventeen phenolic acids have been reported in sea buckthorn berries. Salicylic acid is the main phenolic acid in berries, accounting for 55–74.3% of the total phenolic acids (). However, another study reported that gallic acid is the main phenolic acid in sea buckthorn fruit and leaves ().

Flavonoids may have potential roles in the prevention of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer (). Guo et al. () found that the total phenols and flavonoid aglycones in sea buckthorn extract had antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities. To date, 95 flavonoids have been identified from sea buckthorn, including 75 flavonols, 2 dihydroflavones, 6 catechins, 1 leucocyanidin, 9 anthocyanidins, 1 proanthocyanidin, and 1 chalcone (). Raudonis et al. () detected the total flavonoid content in 11 sea buckthorn varieties grown in Lithuania and found that total flavonoid content ranged 385–616 μg/g FW. Flavonols are the major constituents of flavonoids and are mainly present in the glycosylated forms of quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol (). Flavonols range from 463.14 mg to 893.92 mg/100 g DM, accounting for approximately 99% of the total phenolic compounds (). The content and composition of polyphenolic compounds are significantly influenced by geographical factors, climatic conditions and berry varieties.

Fatty acids 

Sea buckthorn is rich in a variety of fatty acids that play an important role in human health, such as treating skin and mucous membrane disorders and dry eyes syndrome and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (). 

Phytosterols 

Phytosterols, as a bioactive component, can prevent cardiovascular diseases. 

Health benefits

Sea buckthorn contains a variety of bioactive components, including vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols, fatty acids, and phytosterols. These components exert a wide range of health benefits by exerting antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiviral effects, as well as exerting protective cardiovascular, dermatological, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. 

 

“Content extracted from a journal published in the National Library of Medicine.” 

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