Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides L.): Phytochemistry, Nutritional Value and Therapeutic Potential

Abstract

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L., Elaeagnaceae) is a hardy, nitrogen-fixing shrub of Eurasian cold deserts and temperate coastlines whose berries, seeds and leaves have been used for centuries in Tibetan, Mongolian, Chinese and Central Asian systems of medicine, yet its chemical complexity and clinical relevance have been consolidated only in recent decades. This review synthesises current knowledge of the phytochemistry, nutritional composition and therapeutic potential of H. rhamnoides, drawing on compositional surveys, mechanistic studies and human trials published largely over the past three decades. The berry combines exceptional ascorbic acid concentrations (up to 2500 mg/100 g in some subspecies) with carotenoids, tocopherols, phytosterols, flavonol glycosides dominated by isorhamnetin and quercetin derivatives, proanthocyanidins and two compositionally distinct oils, a pulp oil uniquely rich in palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7) and a seed oil with a near 1:1 ratio of linoleic to alpha-linolenic acid. These constituents underpin experimentally supported antioxidant, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, dermatological, anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, radioprotective and antiproliferative activities, several of which are corroborated by randomised controlled trials in dry eye disease, atopic dermatitis, vaginal atrophy and liver fibrosis. The evidence base nevertheless remains uneven: subspecies-dependent compositional variability, heterogeneous extracts and inconsistent clinical endpoints complicate translation. Standardised preparations, compound-level pharmacokinetics and adequately powered trials are identified as priorities for converting a nutritionally remarkable wild resource into an evidence-based functional food and phytopharmaceutical.