Potential health benefits of Sea buckthorn oil- A review

Abstract

Hippophae rhamnoides, also known as sea buckthorn is an ancient plant with modern virtues, due to its nutritional and medicinal value. Sea buckthorn berry is rich in oil. Seeds (seed oil) and fruit pulp (pulp oil) are used for oil extraction. The oil content of Sea buckthorn pulp and seeds are in range of 18.2-43.5% and 7.03 -12.86% respectively. While linoleic (18:2n-6) and á-linolenic (18:3n-3) acids are the major fatty acids in the seed oil, the high level of palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7, up to 50%) differentiates sea buckthorn pulp oil from most other oils of plant origin. Oil from sea buckthorn contains several bioactive components such as vitamin E, vitamin K, carotenoids and phytosterols. Sea buckthorn oil has shown great healing effect in treating damaged mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, wound, burn, dry eye, dermatitis and sunburn. The oil from pulp and the seeds of sea buckthorn have been shown to possess anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic, hypocholesteromic, hypotensive, anti-hypoxic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Sea buckthorn oils are used as a source for ingredients in several commercially available cosmetic products and nutritional supplements like jelly, plant capsules, or oral fluids.