Integrated processing of fresh Indian sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) berries and chemical evaluation of products

Abstract

An efficient pilot-scale process was developed to produce nutraceutical products from fresh sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) berries. Fresh berries were subjected to high-pressure dewatering using a continuous screw press. The separated liquid phase containing 80-90% of pulp oil was clarified at 80 degrees C and centrifuged to obtain pulp oil, clear juice and sludge. The pulp oil yield was 2.7-2.8% of fresh berry weight with 66-70% extraction efficiency. The pulp oil was remarkably rich in carotenoids (2450-2810 mg kg(-1)), tocopherols (1409-1599 mg kg(-1)) andsterols (4096-4403 mg kg(-1)), with a characteristic fresh berry flavour and 16:1 as the major fatty acid (45.6-49.1%). The clear juice obtained was free from oil and contained high amounts of vitamin C (1683-1840mg kg(-1)) and phytochemicals such as polyphenols (2392-2821 mg kg(-1)) and flavonoids (340-401 mg kg(-1)). Isorhamnetin (251-310 mg kg(-1)) was the major flavonoid in the juice, along with quercetin (77-81 mg kg(-1)) and kaempherol (12-16 mg kg(-1)). The juice was very acidic (pH 3), with high concentrations of organic acids (30.8-36.0 g kg(-1)). High-performance liquid chromatography profiling of organic acids revealed quinic acid (18.1-19.9 g kg(-1)) as the major acid in the juice. The seeds in the pressed cake were separated and extracted for oil using supercritical CO2.