Impact of location on composition of selected phytochemicals in wild sea buckthorn ( Hippophae rhamnoides )

Association of enzymatic and optimized ultrasound-assisted aqueous extraction of flavonoid glycosides from dried Hippophae rhamnoides L. (Sea Buckthorn) berries

The main purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of associating an optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) protocol with enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) in aqueous media, using the dried berries of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) as plant material. A specialized software was used for the determination of potential optimal extraction parameters, leading to the development of four optimized extracts with different characteristics (UAE ± EAE). For these extracts, buffered or non-buffered solutions have been used, with the aim to determine the influence of adjustable pH on extractability. As enzymatic solution, a pectinase, cellulase, and hemicellulase mix (2:1:1) has been applied, acting as pre-treatment for the optimized protocol. The highest extractive yields have been identified for non-buffered extracts, and the E-UAE combination obtained extracts with the highest overall in vitro antioxidant activity. The HPLC-MSn analysis demonstrated a rich composition in different types of isorhamnetin-O-glycosides, as well as some quercetin-O-glycosides, showing a high recovery of specific flavonol-type polyphenolic species. Moreover, we have tentatively identified two flavanols (i.e., catechin and epigallocatechin) and one flavone derivative (i.e., luteolin).

Phytochemical investigation of Nigella sativa seed extract by HPTLC, HPLC and GC-MS: a comparative geographical study

This study aimed to ensure the quality of the seed as well as determine the phytochemical composition of Nigella sativa seed extract (NSSE) obtained from three different geographical locations. Pharmacognostic evaluation of the seed includes preliminary phytochemical screening, physicochemical evaluation, and study of heavy metal content, in addition to HPTLC, HPLC, and GC-MS studies of the extract obtained from the seed of the Nigella sativa (NS). HPTLC fingerprinting studies revealed the presence of various bioactive compounds. HPLC analysis confirms the quantitative variation of thymoquinone (TQ) in the extracts, i.e. the maximum quantity of TQ was found in Vizag NSSE, followed by Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. GC-MS analysis reveals the presence of 33, 35, and 32 constituents in the extract obtained from Vizag, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab, respectively. This study confirms the variation in the phytochemical composition as well as in the biomarker (Thymoquinone) content present in the collected samples.

Comprehensive untargeted lipidomic analysis of sea buckthorn using UHPLC-HR-AM/MS/MS combined with principal component analysis

Sea buckthorn is an important ecological and economic plant which has multiple bioactivities. The fruits and seeds of sea buckthorn are rich in oil. However, there are few studies on the differences of lipid profiles of sea buckthorn varieties. Herein, the lipidomic fingerprints of sea buckthorn was established. First, a mixture solvent of methanol and chloroform (2:1, v/v) was selected to extract the lipid of the flesh and seed of sea buckthorn. Then, global lipidomic analysis of different varieties of sea buckthorn was conducted. A total of 16 lipid classes and 112 lipid molecular species were determined. Several molecular species, such as PE (phosphatidylethanolamine) 18:1/18:3, PE18:0/18:1, PE18:0/18:2, etc. were selected as the potential biomarkers to classify the samples. Our study provides a scientific basis for quality control of sea buckthorn and promotes the development of sea buckthorn oil.

In Search of Authenticity Biomarkers in Food Supplements Containing Sea Buckthorn: A Metabolomics Approach

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) (SB) is increasingly consumed worldwide as a food and food supplement. The remarkable richness in biologically active phytochemicals (polyphenols, carotenoids, sterols, vitamins) is responsible for its purported nutritional and health-promoting effects. Despite the considerable interest and high market demand for SB-based supplements, a limited number of studies report on the authentication of such commercially available products. Herein, untargeted metabolomics based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-ESI+MS) were able to compare the phytochemical fingerprint of leaves, berries, and various categories of SB-berry herbal supplements (teas, capsules, tablets, liquids). By untargeted metabolomics, a multivariate discrimination analysis and a univariate approach (t-test and ANOVA) showed some putative authentication biomarkers for berries, e.g., xylitol, violaxanthin, tryptophan, quinic acid, quercetin-3-rutinoside. Significant dominant molecules were found for leaves: luteolin-5-glucoside, arginine, isorhamnetin 3-rutinoside, serotonin, and tocopherol. The univariate analysis showed discriminations between the different classes of food supplements using similar algorithms. Finally, eight molecules were selected and considered significant putative authentication biomarkers. Further studies will be focused on quantitative evaluation.

Phytochemistry and pharmacology of sea buckthorn (Elaeagnus rhamnoides; syn. Hippophae rhamnoides): progress from 2010 to 2021

Sea buckthorn (Elaeagnus rhamnoides; syn. Hippophae rhamnoides) is a thorny shrub or a small tree belonging to the Elaeagnaceae family, native to Eurasia. Sea buckthorn fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals, oils from the seeds and fruit flesh find use in medicine and the cosmetic industry or as nutraceutical supplements. Fruit, leaves and other parts of buckthorn have been used in traditional medicine, especially in China, Tibet, Mongolia, and Central Asia countries, and are a rich source of many bioactive substances. Due to its health-promoting and medicinal properties, the plant has been extensively investigated for several decades, and its phytochemical composition and pharmacological properties are well characterized. The years 2010-2021 brought significant progress in phytochemical research on sea buckthorn. Dozens of new compounds, mainly phenolics, were isolated from this plant. Numerous pharmacological studies were also performed, investigating diverse aspects of the biological activity of different extracts and natural products from sea buckthorn. This review focuses on the progress in research on sea buckthorn specialized metabolites made in this period. Pharmacological studies on sea buckthorn are also discussed. In addition, biosynthetic pathways of the main groups of these compounds have been shortly described.

Composition of flesh lipids and oleosome yield optimization of selected sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) cultivars grown in Poland

Sea buckthorn berries contain lipids rich in palmitoleic acid, carotenoids, tocols and sterols, but their composition varies greatly depending on the cultivar and region of cultivation. Therefore, the current study presents the chemical composition of fruit flesh oils of cultivars grown in Poland and compares them with plants grown worldwide. Among tested cultivars, the highest shares of palmitoleic acid were determined in Golden Rain and Luczystaja cvs. Ten grams of sea buckthorn flesh oil provides at least 28% of vitamin A, 50% of vitamin E and 5% of sterols of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) values for adults. The final part of this study is dedicated to a preliminary study of the optimization of the oleosome yield by the centrifugation method. The maximum oleosome yield can be obtained at a relatively low centrifugal force (below 8000×g), while optimal temperature and time should be laboratory determined for each cultivar.

Hippophae rhamnoides L. leaf and twig extracts as rich sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity

Plants have served for centuries as sources of compounds useful for human health such as antioxidant, anti-diabetic and antitumor agents. They are also rich in nutrients that improve the human diet. Growing demands for these compounds make it important to seek new sources for them. Hippophae rhamnoides L. is known as a plant with health-promoting properties. In this study we investigated the chemical composition and biological properties of bioactive components of ethanol extracts from leaves and twigs of H. rhamnoides L. Chemical components such as the total content of phenolic compounds, vitamins and amino acids and the antioxidant activities of these compounds in cellular and cell-free systems were assessed. The results suggest that the studied extracts are rich in bioactive compounds with potent antioxidant properties. Cytotoxicity and hemotoxicity assays showed that the extracts had low toxicity on human cells over the range of concentrations tested. Interaction with human serum albumin was investigated and conformational changes were observed. Our results indicate that leaf and twig extracts of H. rhamnoides L. should be considered as a non-toxic source of bioactive compounds which may be of interest to the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

CO2 Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Oleoresins from Sea Buckthorn Pomace: Evidence of Advanced Bioactive Profile and Selected Functionality

The processing of sea buckthorn generates a significant amount of pomace, seeds and skin considered valuable sources of health-promoting macromolecules, such as carotenoids, pectin, flavonoids, phytosterols, polyunsaturated fatty acids and tocopherols. In this study, the bioactives from sea buckthorn pomace (SBP) were extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide (SFE-CO₂), at different temperatures and pressures, allowing for obtaining four fractions according to separators (S40 and S45). The highest carotenoid content of 396.12 ± 1.02 mg/g D.W. was found in the S40 fraction, at extraction parameters of 35 °C/45 MPa, yielding an antioxidant activity of 32.10 ± 0.17 mMol TEAC/g D.W. The representative carotenoids in the extract were zeaxanthin, β-carotene and lycopene, whereas all enriched SFE-CO₂ extracts contained α-, β- and δ-tocopherol, with α-tocopherol representing around 82% of all fractions. β-sitosterol was the major phytosterol in the fractions derived from S45. All fractions contained significant fatty acids, with a predominance of linoleic acid. Remarkably, the enriched extracts showed a significant palmitoleic acid content, ranging from 53 to 65 µg/g. S40 extracts showed a good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Aeromonas hydrophila ATCC 7966, whereas S45 extracts showed a growth inhibition rate of 100% against Aspergillus niger after three days of growth. Our results are valuable, and they allow identifying the different profiles of extracts with many different applications in food, pharmaceutics, nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals.

Sea Buckthorn in Plant Based Diets. An Analytical Approach of Sea Buckthorn Fruits Composition: Nutritional Value, Applications, and Health Benefits

Current nutritional trends include plant-based diets as nutritional behavior of consumers who are increasingly concerned about a healthy lifestyle. Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) is a plant with great virtues, containing more than 100 types of compounds. It is a plant with versatile properties, multiple economic advantages and a rich history, which still continues in natural medicine, and it is hence included in the daily diet by more and more people for the prevention and treatment of diet-related diseases. Its uniqueness is due to its chemical composition and the health beneficial properties that rise from its composition. This review is a detailed analytical picture of the current state of knowledge currently available regarding the Hippophaë plant, providing an overview of the qualities of sea buckthorn. This article summarizes data on sea buckthorn’s nutritional value, health beneficial properties, and its applications.

Valorisation of Sea Buckthorn Pomace by Optimization of Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction of Soluble Dietary Fibre Using Response Surface Methodology

Sea buckthorn pomace is a valuable industrial waste/by-product obtained after juice production that contains bioactive, health-promoting dietary fibres. This pomace finds usage as animal feed or simply discarded, owed to the lack of appropriate handling or processing facilities. The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of green extraction technologies such as ultrasonic-assisted extraction on the yield of soluble dietary fibre (SDF) from sea buckthorn pomace. Response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with Box–Behnken design (BBD) was applied for optimization of SDF yield. The effects of sonication temperature (60–80 °C), sonication power (100–130 W) and extraction time (30–60 min) on the yield of SDF were also investigated. Furthermore, colour measurement and hydration properties of sea buckthorn pomace powder (STP) and dietary fibre fractions (SDF and insoluble dietary fibre, IDF) were also investigated. From the RSM results, the optimal sonication temperature (67.83 °C), sonication power (105.52 W) and extraction time (51.18 min) were identified. Based on this, the modified optimum conditions were standardised (sonication temperature of 70 °C, sonication power of 105 W and extraction time of 50 min). Accordingly, the yield of SDF obtained was 16.08 ± 0.18%, which was close to the predicted value (15.66%). Sonication temperature showed significant effects at p ≤ 0.01, while sonication power and extraction time showed significant effects at p ≤ 0.05 on the yield of SDF. The result on colour attributes of STP, SDF and IDF differed (L* (STP: 54.71 ± 0.72, IDF: 72.64 ± 0.21 and SDF: 54.53 ± 0.31), a* (STP: 52.35 ± 1.04, IDF: 32.85 ± 0.79 and SDF: 43.54 ± 0.03), b* (STP: 79.28 ± 0.62, IDF: 82.47 ± 0.19 and SDF: 71.33 ± 0.50), and ∆E* (STP: 79.93 ± 0.50, IDF: 74.18 ± 0.30 and SDF: 68.40 ± 0.39)). Higher values of hydration properties such as the water holding, swelling and oil holding capacities were found in SDF (7.25 ± 0.10 g g⁻¹, 7.24 ± 0.05 mL g⁻¹ and 1.49 ± 0.02 g g⁻¹), followed by IDF (6.30 ± 0.02, 5.75 ± 0.07 and 1.25 ± 0.03) and STP (4.17 ± 0.04, 3.48 ± 0.06 and 0.89 ± 0.03), respectively. Based on our results, response surface methodology is recommended to be adopted to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted extraction to obtain maximum yield of SDF from sea buckthorn pomace. These results can be of practical usage while designing future functional food formulations using sea buckthorn pomace.

Red Arils of Taxus baccata L.-A New Source of Valuable Fatty Acids and Nutrients

The aim of this study, focused on the nutritional value of wild berries, was to determine the contents of macronutrients, profiles of fatty (FAs) and amino acids (AAs), and the contents of selected elements in red arils (RA) of Taxus baccata L., grown in diverse locations in Poland. Protein (1.79–3.80 g/100 g) and carbohydrate (18.43–19.30 g/100 g) contents of RAs were higher than in many cultivated berries. RAs proved to be a source of lipids (1.39–3.55 g/100 g). Ten out of 18 AAs detected in RAs, mostly branched-chain AAs, were essential AAs (EAAs). The EAAs/total AAs ratio approximating were found in animal foods. Lipids of RA contained seven PUFAs, including those from n-3 family (19.20–28.20 g/100 g FA). Polymethylene-interrupted FAs (PMI-FAs), pinolenic 18:3Δ5,9,12; sciadonic 20:3Δ5,11,14, and juniperonic 20:4Δ5,11,14,17, known as unique for seeds of gymnosperms, were found in RAs. RAs may represent a novel dietary source of valuable n-3 PUFAs and the unique PMI-FAs. The established composition of RAs suggests it to become a new source of functional foods, dietary supplements, and valuable ingredients. Because of the tendency to accumulate toxic metals, RAs may be regarded as a valuable indicator of environmental contamination. Thus, the levels of toxic trace elements (Al, Ni, Cd) have to be determined before collecting fruits from natural habitats.

Sea Buckthorn Oil as a Valuable Source of Bioaccessible Xanthophylls

Sea buckthorn oil, derived from the fruits of the shrub, also termed seaberry or sandthorn, is without doubt a strikingly rich source of carotenoids, in particular zeaxanthin and β-carotene. In the present study, sea buckthorn oil and an oil-in-water emulsion were subjected to a simulated gastro-intestinal in vitro digestion, with the main focus on xanthophyll bioaccessibility. Zeaxanthin mono- and di-esters were the predominant carotenoids in sea buckthorn oil, with zeaxanthin dipalmitate as the major compound (38.0%). A typical fatty acid profile was found, with palmitic (49.4%), palmitoleic (28.0%), and oleic (11.7%) acids as the dominant fatty acids. Taking into account the high amount of carotenoid esters present in sea buckthorn oil, the use of cholesterol esterase was included in the in vitro digestion protocol. Total carotenoid bioaccessibility was higher for the oil-in-water emulsion (22.5%) compared to sea buckthorn oil (18.0%) and even higher upon the addition of cholesterol esterase (28.0% and 21.2%, respectively). In the case of sea buckthorn oil, of all the free carotenoids, zeaxanthin had the highest bioaccessibility (61.5%), followed by lutein (48.9%), making sea buckthorn oil a potential attractive source of bioaccessible xanthophylls.

Effects of Granucol activated carbons on sensory properties of sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) wines

The paper introduces some experimental data on activated carbons of Granucol series that can improve the colour of sea-buckthorn wines and stabilize them during storage. Such treatment is necessary because sea buckthorn contains reactive phenolic compounds that trigger non-enzymatic oxidative browning in sea-buckthorn wine. A di- rect regulation of the amount of phenolic compounds can improve sensory characteristics of sea-buckthorn wines, as well as increase their shelf-life. The research featured table dry wine made of 10 varieties of sea buckthorn grown in the Altai region. The chromatic characteristics were studied according to the existing guidelines of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV, France). The index of yellowness served as an additional indicator for the co- lour assessment of the sea-buckthorn wines. Another objective indicator of colour assessment was the index of the displacement of the colour of x and y coordinates that corresponded with the green-red and yellow-blue chromatic axes. When 20–60 mg/100 ml of Granucol activated carbon was used during the winemaking process, it significantly improved the harmony of the sea-buckthorn wines. In particular, it had a positive effect on the colour characteristics. Granucol carbon reduced such unfavourable taste characteristics as excessive roughness (the total amount of polyphe- nolic compounds fell by 1.5–2 times) and significantly improved the aroma by erasing the yeasty and fusel odours.

Analysis on the Constituents of Branches, Berries, and Leaves of Hippophae rhamnoides L. by UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activities

Sea buckthorn ( Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is a medicinal plant widely distributed in Asia and Europe, containing plentiful bioactive substances. Our research aimed to promote the comprehensive utilization of the branches, leaves, and berries of sea buckthorn. Qualitative analysis of chemical constituents in branches, leaves, and berries of sea buckthorn was conducted by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography accurate mass quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS). As a result, the branch, leaf, and berry samples could be clearly separated in principal component analysis scores plot, and 24 significant markers were found to distinguish these parts by partial least squares regression discrimination analysis in Mass Profiler Professional software. Meanwhile, the compositional similarity of sea buckthorn leaves and branches was higher than that of leaves and berries. In addition, the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production of different parts in macrophage RAW 264.7 cells was carried out. At the concentration of 10 μg/mL, sea buckthorn extracts showed good anti-inflammatory activities with NO inhibition values from 73% to 98%.

An Overview of Carotenoids, Apocarotenoids, and Vitamin A in Agro-Food, Nutrition, Health, and Disease

Carotenoids are fascinating compounds that can be converted into many others, including retinoids that also play key roles in many processes. Although carotenoids are largely known in the context of food science, nutrition, and health as natural colorants and precursors of vitamin A (VA), evidence has accumulated that even those that cannot be converted to VA may be involved in health-promoting biological actions. It is not surprising that carotenoids (most notably lutein) are among the bioactives for which the need to establish recommended dietary intakes have been recently discussed. In this review, the importance of carotenoids (including apocarotenoids) and key derivatives (retinoids with VA activity) in agro-food with relevance to health is summarized. Furthermore, the European Network to Advance Carotenoid Research and Applications in Agro-Food and Health (EUROCAROTEN) is introduced. EUROCAROTEN originated from the Ibero-American Network for the Study of Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients (IBERCAROT).