SEA-BUCKTHORN

The 'sea-buckthorns' are deciduous shrubs in the genus ''Hippophae'', family Elaeagnaceae. The name sea-buckthorn, hyphenated here to avoid confusion with the buckthorns (''Rhamnus'', family Rhamnaceae), is also referred to as "sea buckthorn" or "seabuckthorn".
Since the early 21st century in the United States, other such industrialized countries, and the global functional food industry, there has been a rapidly growing recognition of sea-buckthorn berries for their consumer product potential, exceptional nutrient content and antioxidant qualities, giving them commercial status as a novel "superfruit"[1][2][3].

Contents

Description and Distribution

Berries and leaves

Uses

Harvesting and landscaping

Food and cosmetics

See also

External links

Description and Distribution

There are three species, native over a wide area across Europe and Asia. They reach 0.5-6 m tall, rarely up to 18 m in central Asia, and typically occur in dry, sandy areas. They are tolerant of salt in the air and soil, but demand full sunlight for good growth and cannot tolerate shady conditions near larger trees.

The 'Common Sea-buckthorn' ''Hippophae rhamnoides'' is by far the most widespread, with a range extending from the Atlantic coasts of Europe right across to northwestern China. In western Europe, it is largely confined to sea coasts where salt spray off the sea prevents other larger plants from out-competing it, but in central Asia it is more widespread in dry semi-desert sites where other plants cannot survive the dry conditions; in central Europe and Asia it also occurs as a subalpine shrub above tree line in mountains, and other sunny areas such as river banks.
Common Sea-buckthorn branches are dense and stiff, and very thorny. The leaves are a distinct pale silvery-green, lanceolate, 3-8 cm long and less than 7 mm broad. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The male produces brownish flowers which produce wind-distributed pollen.

Berries and leaves

The female plants produce orange berries 6-9 mm in diameter, soft and juicy, and rich in vitamin C (on average 120mg per 100g and sometimes up to 600mg per 100g [4]); some varieties are also rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, and oils. The berries are an important winter food resource for some birds, notably Fieldfares.
Leaves are eaten by the larva of the coastal race of the Ash Pug moth and by larvae of other Lepidoptera including Brown-tail, The Dun-bar, Emperor Moth, Mottled Umber and ''Coleophora elaeagnisella''.

''Hippophae salicifolia'' ('Willow-leaved Sea-buckthorn') is restricted to the Himalaya, to the south of the Common Sea-buckthorn, growing at high altitudes in dry valleys; it differs from ''H. rhamnoides'' in broader (to 10 mm broad), greener (less silvery) leaves, and yellow berries. ''Hippophae tibetana'' ('Tibetan Sea-buckthorn') occurs in the same area, but at even higher altitudes in the alpine zone. It is a low shrub not growing taller than 1 m with small leaves 1-3 cm long.
Two further species, ''Hippophae goniocarpa'' and ''Hippophae neurocarpa'', have been described from China, but are not widely accepted as distinct.

Uses

Harvesting and landscaping

Harvesting is difficult due to the densely thorny nature of the shrubs. A common harvesting technique is to remove an entire branch, though this is destructive to the shrub and reduces future harvests. A branch removed in this way is next frozen, and then the berries can be easily shaken off. The branches are cut, deep frozen to −32°C. They are slightly defrosted on the surface during the removal of the berries from the branches and afterwards cleaned.
The worker then crushes the berries to remove up to 95% of the leaves and other debris. This causes the berries to melt slightly from the surface as the work takes place at ambient temperature (about 20°C). Berries are later stored at -22°C.
The most effective way to harvest the berries and not damage the branches is by using a berry-shaker which was developed in Estonia some time ago. Mechanical harvesting leaves up to 50% in the field and the berries can be harvested only once in two years. They only get about 25% of the yield that could be harvested with this relatively new piece of machinery.
During the Cold War, Russian and East German horticulturists developed new varieties with greater nutritional value, larger berries, different ripening months and a branch form that is easier to harvest. Over the past 20 years, experimental crops have been grown in the United States, one in Nevada and one in Arizona, and in western provinces of Canada[5].
Sea-buckthorn is also a popular garden and landscaping shrub, particularly making a good vandal-proof barrier hedge with an aggressive basal shoot system exploited in some parts of the world to stabilize riverbanks and steep slopes. Branches are used by florists for designing ornaments. The plant is the regional flora of the Finnish region of Satakunta.

Food and cosmetics

For hundreds of years, the people of central and southeastern Asia have used sea-buckthorn as an agent of traditional medicine to prevent and treat various ailments .
Sea-buckthorn berries are multipurposed, edible and nutritious, though very acidic and astringent, unpleasant to eat raw, unless 'bletted' (frosted to reduce the astringency) and/or mixed as a juice with sweeter substances such as apple juice or grape juice. They can also be used to make pies or jam. The consumer industry uses sea-buckthorn berries for jams, juices, lotions, and liquors.
Oil from the seeds and berries has numerous uses in traditional medicine. It is used as a healing remedy for many ulcerative and inflammation-related disorders such as canker sores, esophagitis, peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and cervicitis [6]. Its fruit oils may also be effective for treating burn injury[7]. Russian cosmonauts have used them while in orbit.
Recently, sea-buckthorn has been used as an ingredient in several commercially available cosmetic products and nutritional supplements.
For its troops confronting extremely low temperatures (see Siachen), India's Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) has established a factory in Leh to manufacture a multi-vitamin herbal beverage based on sea-buckthorn. The fruit of the plant has a high vitamin C content—300 milligrams per 100 grams in contrast to 50 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams found in orange—besides containing Vitamin A, E and flavonoids .
The beverage, apart from being nourishing, has a freezing point of −22 degrees Celsius which helps it remain in liquid form even in sub-zero temperatures . Called 'Chharma' in native language, it may have properties believed from traditional medicine to be useful in treating wounds and burns .

See also

★ Sea buckthorn oil

★ Unlocking the benefits of sea buckthorn oil

External links

★ Introduction to sea-buckthorn, Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

★ [8]

★ Flora Europaea: ''Hippophae''

★ Flora of Pakistan: ''Hippophae''

★ Flora of China: ''Hippophae'' species list

★ Purdue University list of articles

★ Series of high quality photos at Hort.net

★ Sea-buckthorn: A promising multi-purpose crop for Saskatchewan

★ Harvest time influences fatty acids and sterols of sea-buckthorn berries

★ Sea-buckthorn among exotic new flavor opportunities

★ Sea-buckthorn to join heart-healthy juice club?

★ An alcoholic drink using seaberries.