Hippophae rhamnoides best known as Sea buckthorn is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to Europe and Asia, particularly found in arid, sandy areas. This plant is highly regarded for its hardy nature and ability to thrive in poor soil conditions. It produces small, orange-yellow berries that are incredibly rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds.

Botanical Classification

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Class: Eudicots
Order: Rosales
Family: Elaeagnaceae
Genus: Hippophae
Species: H. rhamnoides

Plant Characteristics

Sea buckthorn can grow up to 2-4 meters in height and often forms dense, thorny thickets. The leaves are narrow and silvery-green, contributing to its distinctive appearance. The plant is dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female. The small, inconspicuous male flowers and larger, more noticeable female flowers bloom on separate plants in early spring.

Chemical Composition and Structure

Sea buckthorn berries are a powerhouse of vitamins (particularly C and E), essential fatty acids (omega-3, 6, 7, and 9), antioxidants, and plant sterols. The berries also contain a significant amount of flavonoids, which contribute to their health-promoting properties.

How to Cultivate It

To successfully cultivate Hippophae rhamnoides:

1. Soil: Prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soils but is adaptable to various soil types, including nutrient-poor ones.
2. Light: Requires full sun for optimal growth and fruit production.
3. Water: Tolerant of drought once established but benefits from occasional watering during prolonged dry spells.
4. Temperature: Hardy and resistant to cold, thriving in temperate to sub-arctic climates.

Uses and Benefits

Sea buckthorn is celebrated not only for its ornamental value but also for its wide range of uses in traditional and modern medicine. The berries, leaves, and seeds are used to produce various products, including oils, juices, and supplements, which are touted for their nutritional benefits. Traditionally, sea buckthorn has been used to aid digestion, enhance skin health, and boost immunity.

Applications

• Nutritional Supplements: Rich in nutrients and antioxidants, sea buckthorn is used in various supplements.
• Skin Care Products: Oils derived from the seeds and pulp are incorporated into creams and serums for their moisturizing and healing properties.
• Culinary Uses: The tart, flavorful berries are used in jams, juices, and other culinary preparations.

Environmental and Safety Considerations

Hippophae rhamnoides is an environmentally beneficial plant, known for its ability to prevent soil erosion and improve the quality of the land through nitrogen fixation. Cultivation and harvesting should be managed sustainably to ensure that natural habitats are not disrupted. Generally, sea buckthorn is safe for most people when used appropriately, but due to its high vitamin content, it should be consumed in moderation to avoid potential side effects like skin rashes or stomach upset.

Studies

From its leaves and berries is extracted chloroform and n-hexane, components with intense antibacterial activity (1).

It is a rich source of vitamins C and E, carotenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, organic acids, amino acids, sterols, triterpenols and isoprenols (2) with an antioxidant activity.

The berries produce an oil containing carotenoids, palmitic, palmitolic and oleic acid, while the seed oil is composed of linoleic, linolenic and oleic acid as main components (3) .

This oil has traditionally been used to improve blood circulation and for the treatment of dermatological problems including wounds, gastritis, peptic ulcers, uterine erosion and inflammatory disorders of the genital organs (4).

Sea buckthorn has significant cardioprotective activity and a positive effects on the healing of the cardiovascular system, including inhibition of platelet activation (in particular platelet aggregation), reduction of cholesterol concentration, blood pressure and antioxidant action (5).

In this study, a positive evaluation of the topical effects on atopic lesions as it improved the severity of dermatitis by reducing epidermal thickness (6).

The results of this study on the extract of Sea buckthorn, provide a basis for affordable, low side-effect therapy for the treatment of psoriasis (7).

Cosmetics

It produces a regenerating effect on the skin produced by carotenoids, vitamin E and unsaturated fats contained in the pulp and seeds.

Other applications

It is placed in foods, candies, to give a particular taste.

Sea buckthorn studies

References_______________________________________________________________________

(1) Qadir MI, Abbas K, Younus A, Shaikh RS. Report - Antibacterial activity of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Pak J Pharm Sci. 2016 Sep;29(5):1711-1713. 

Abstract. Objective of the present study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) berries and leaves against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by using the standard disc diffusion method. Chloroform, n-hexane and aqueous extract of the plant parts were used. Doses of 2mg/ml, 4 mg/ml and 6mg/ml were tested against the microorganism, and the zone of inhibition was compared against the standard drug vancomycin. Results indicated that n-hexane and chloroform extracts of berries and n-hexane extract leaves showed significant (p<0.05) antibacterial activity comparable with vancomycin. It was concluded from the study that extracts berries and leaves of Hippophae rhamnoides have antibacterial activity against MRSA.

(2) Yang B, Kallio H. Supercritical CO2-extracted sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) oils as new food ingredients for cardiovascular health. In: Proceedings of Health Ingredients of Europe, Paris; 2002, p. 17–19.

(3) Süleyman, Z., Erdemoğlu, N., Küsmenoğlu, Ş., Gürbüz, İ., Yesilada, E., and Çalış, İ. Fatty acid composition and anti-ulcerogenic activity of Hippophae rhamnoides fruit oil. J Fac Pharm Gazi Univ. 1998; 15: 11–17

(4) Li, T.S.C. and Wang, L.C.H. Physiological components and health effects of ginseng, echinacea and sea buckthorn. in: G. Mazza (Ed.) Functional foods, biochemical and processing aspects. Technomic Publishing Company, Lancaster, PA; 1998: 329–356

Abstract. Background: Increased consumer´s interest in health has driven the development of foods that offer specific beneficial effects. The list of foods and ingredients includes essential and non-essential nutrients, plant and marine components, whole foods, microorganisms, microalgae and technological approaches. Traditionally, health outcomes focussed on the prevention of chronic diseases but health targets have expanded to cover areas such as brain health, inflammation, eye health, women´s health, healthy ageing and beauty. Objective: This review highlights, from a nutritional biochemistry perspective, differential aspects on designing and interpreting human studies to support the health effects of functional foods. Results: Despite the available evidence from in vitro, animal and observational studies, welldesigned human studies are necessary to support the health effects of functional foods. Intervention trials with foods are complex as they imply limitations due to methodological, food-related and host-related factors. The use of responsive, validated and clinically relevant markers becomes essential even though there is a lack of reliable biomarkers of exposure for many bioactives. Furthermore, the effect of modulating factors such as subclinical inflammation, gut microbiota and genetic variability should be taken into account. Multiple indicators may provide a more reliable alternative to assess physiological processes while emerging biomarkers (microRNAs, epigenetic changes) constitute a promising approach. Additionally, the magnitude of the change is critical to support any health effect although interventions may have a limited clinical impact but be epidemiologically relevant. Also, based on the available data, the premise that bioactivescontaining foods are safe may be questionable. Conclusion: An integrated approach including multiple biomarkers, genetic variability, effect of gut microbiota and risk/benefit assessment should be used to support the potential health effects of functional foods.

(5) Olas B. Sea buckthorn as a source of important bioactive compounds in cardiovascular diseases. Food Chem Toxicol. 2016 Nov;97:199-204. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2016.09.008. Epub 2016 Sep 9. PMID: 27616182.

(6) Hou DD, Di ZH, Qi RQ, Wang HX, Zheng S, Hong YX, Guo H, Chen HD, Gao XH. Sea Buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) Oil Improves Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Lesions via Inhibition of NF-κB and STAT1 Activation. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2017;30(5):268-276. doi: 10.1159/000479528. Epub 2017 Sep 6. PMID: 28873377.

(7) Boca AN, Ilies RF, Saccomanno J, Pop R, Vesa S, Tataru AD, Buzoianu AD. Sea buckthorn extract in the treatment of psoriasis. Exp Ther Med. 2019 Feb;17(2):1020-1023. doi: 10.3892/etm.2018.6983.

Abstract. Psoriasis is one of the most common chronic dermatological conditions, with a strong impact on patients' quality of life. Currently, psoriasis benefits from conventional therapy with a high rate of adverse effects and an increase in non-compliance and self-medication of patients. As such, there is a need to pinpoint low-adverse effects and accessible remedies for this condition. Our single-blind, placebo-controlled study assessed the effect of sea buckthorn extract on psoriasis lesions in previously untreated patients. Our results showed an improvement in Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) scores and in Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores when compared to the baseline values, as well as at the 4- and 8-week time marks for the lesions treated with sea buckthorn extract. By contrast, the measurements for the placebo treated lesions showed no alteration at the 4-week mark, and significant worsening at the end of the trial. These findings provide a solid, optimistic base for the in-depth research of sea buckthorn as an adjuvant or a component in psoriasis care protocols.