Sea buckthorn: an unknown fruit

Introduced to Canada in the 1930s, sea buckthorn is a fruit shrub belonging to the Eleagnacea family. Although it is often unknown to the general public, this shrub nevertheless contains significant energy and nutritional resources. Sea buckthorn indeed has many health benefits, due to its multiple bioactive components. What are the origins of this shrub and how is it exploited in Canada? Why should we consider the virtues of sea buckthorn more? Overview of the different characteristics of this still mysterious shrub.

Native to Eurasia, thesea buckthorn was introduced to Canada in 1938 as an ornamental plant. Also known as Hippophae rhamnoides, sea buckthorn is a thorny shrub that is usually between 02 to 04 m in height, reaching up to 09 m if left unpruned. It has narrow, lanceolate green leaves. The fruits of sea buckthorn, on the other hand, are oval in size from 0.3 to 0.1 grams. The clusters can take different color forms, ranging from pale yellow to a mixture between orange and red.

In Quebec, sea buckthorn has a so-called rhizomatous root system, allowing it both to maintain itself on fragile slopes and to revitalize degraded terrain. Moreover, due to its propensity to fix nitrogen, it has the particularity of revitalizing the soil and transforming mineral matter into a more soluble state. Finally, the sea buckthorn plant is used by Quebecers as a windbreak and to fight against erosion.

Cultivars are essential for the proper growth of sea buckthorn. There are more than fifty varieties in Quebec alone. The majority of these cultivars come from:

• Germany: the best-known German cultivar varieties are Frugana, Hego, Leikora and Pollmix
• Russia: Russian Orange, Siberian Splendor, Star of Altai, Luchistaya and Prozrachnaya are Russian cultivars very common in Quebec.
• Siberia: Quebec producers appreciate Siberian cultivars such as Samarodok, Vitamina, Orangevaya and Chuyskaya

The choice of cultivar largely depends on the type of land to be cultivated. Adapting perfectly to all types of soil and even to drought, sea buckthorn can tolerate temperatures ranging from -43°C to +40°C. On the yield side, the sea buckthorn produces its first fruits at the age of 04 years. Provided that it is operated and maintained in the best conditions, an orchard can produce more than 10 tons of fruit.

Although today it enjoys growing interest from the food and pharmaceutical industries, sea buckthorn remains a mystery to many people. In fact, the exploitation of this thorny shrub did not reach its peak until the end of the 1990s. Due to its many beneficial properties for health, sea buckthorn deserves to be highlighted more since it takes increasingly important in the Canadian economy.

The cultivation, harvesting and processing of sea buckthorn are vectors of Quebec's economic growth. If the first research project on this fruit was only carried out in 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ), sea buckthorn is today at the center of covetousness. Despite a market that still needs to be consolidated, the exploitation of this shrub is currently experiencing considerable growth thanks to the establishment of the Association of Sea Buckthorn Producers of Quebec (APAQ). This structure, created in 2001, has no less than 40 members, including around twenty organic producers.

Sea buckthorn is a product with high added value. Its fruits provide a considerable nutritional contribution, because they contain large amounts of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E. It should also be noted the presence of antioxidants, Omega 3, Omega 7, carotenoids , fatty acids, proteins, flavonoids, organic acids, mineral elements and amino acids. Nowadays, sea buckthorn berries are regularly consumed as a dietary supplement.

Increasingly prized by the pharmaceutical and food industries, sea buckthorn is processed into a wide variety of products. It is used in particular for the manufacture of cosmetics, essential oils and other well-being products. Its fruits also produce oils rich in bioactive components. As for its leaves, they contain flavonoids, which are essential molecules in herbal medicine, as well as hipporamine, a very effective natural antiviral. In addition, sea buckthorn has excellent medicinal and pharmaceutical properties, of which the most well-known applications are:

• Medicinal use of sea buckthorn extracts

Sea buckthorn is endowed with antiphlogistic, analgesic and antibiotic properties. All parts of sea buckthorn can thus be used for various medicinal purposes. For example, oil can be extracted from sea buckthorn pulp to treat skin lesions, infectious and cardiovascular diseases as well as burns. Likewise, the flavonoids present in the leaves provide excellent anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant qualities. For internal use, sea buckthorn extract is ideal for the prevention and treatment of stomach ulcers. Finally, we must not forget the benefits of the bark to treat cancerous tumors.

• Pharmaceutical use

For decades, the use of sea buckthorn has been the subject of much scientific research for its nutritional and medicinal values. The results thus demonstrated the multiple phytotherapeutic virtues of this shrub. It is with this in mind that many pharmaceutical products and medicines are designed based on sea buckthorn extracts: dermatological product, food supplement, anti-inflammatory and hypertension medicine, etc.

• Sea buckthorn in the cosmetics industry

Sea buckthorn extract also enjoys an important place in the cosmetic manufacturing market. Particularly rich in vitamin E, carotenoids and omega 7, sea buckthorn fruit pulp oil effectively regenerates the skin, protects the epidermis, eliminates dead cells and contributes to cell renewal. Currently, sea buckthorn oil is made into a lotion, ointment, mask or cream.

• Sea buckthorn in the food industry

The fruits of this shrub are processed into a wide range of food products. We thus find on the market honey, jelly, juice, jam, sweets and oil made from sea buckthorn.