Fatty acids, tocols, and carotenoids in pulp oil of three sea buckthorn species (Hippophae rhamnoides, H-salicifolia, and H-tibetana) grown in the Indian Himalayas

Abstract

Sea buckthorn berries from Hippophae rhamnoides, H. tibetana, and H. salicifolia were collected from the cold deserts of the Himalayas (Lahaul, Ladakh, and Spiti; India) and characterized in terms of the FA, carotenoid, tocopherol, and tocotrienol composition in their pull) oil. These varied from species to species. Total carotenoids ranged from 692 to 3420 mg/kg in pulp oils of fresh berries, and total tocols, from 666 to 1788 mg/kg. Hippophae salicifolia berries contained substantially lower amounts of pulp oil, with lower levels of carotenoids and tocopherols. There was little difference in the proportion of individual tocols in pulp among the three species. (x-Tocopherol alone constituted 40-60% of total pulp tocols in berries. Pulp oils had palmitoleic acid (32-53%) as the most abundant FA followed by palmitic (25-35%), oleic (8-26%), linoleic (5-16%), and linolenic (0.6-2.6%) acids, with the highest deviation observed in the proportion of palmitoleic acid in these berries. Hippophae rhamnoides and H. tibetana contained the highest amount of the lipophilic carotenoids and tocols. Hippophae salicifolia berries had higher amounts of lipophobic constituents such as vitamin C and flavonols.