March 26, 2010 - Sea Buckthorn Oil - Published Studies

Sea Buckthorn (Membrasin) References

1. Effects of an antioxidant-rich juice (sea buckthorn) on risk factors for coronary heart disease in humans.

There is increasing evidence to support the hypothesis that free radical-mediated oxidative processes contribute to atherogenesis. More recently the ability of antioxidant nutrients to affect cell response and gene expression has been reported in vitro, providing a novel mechanistic perspective for the biological activity of antioxidants. Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) is a rich source of antioxidants both aqueous and lipophilic, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids. The objective of the study was to characterize the antioxidant profile of Sea buckthorn juice (SBJ) and to evaluate its effect on plasma lipids, LDL oxidation, platelet aggregation and plasma soluble cell adhesion protein concentration. Twenty healthy male volunteers were given either a placebo or SBJ for 8 weeks. Additional daily intakes of vitamin C, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and flavonoids through SBJ supplementation were 462, 3.2, 1.0 and 355 mg respectively. There were no significant changes in plasma total cholesterol, LDL-C, platelet aggregation or plasma intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) levels between treatment groups. Although not significant, a 20% and 17% increase in plasma HDL-C and triacylglycerol (TAG) concentrations were observed. SBJ supplementation also resulted in a moderate decrease in the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation.

^{Source: Eccleston C, Baoru Y, Tahvonen R, Kallio H, Rimbach GH, Minihane AM. J Nutr Biochem. 2002;13(6):346-354.}

2. Sea Buckthorn oils: towards healthy mucous membranes

Topical application sea buckthorn oils and preparations containing sea buckthorn oil have been shown to improve the health of mucous membranes of urogenital tract. Therefore we decided to design a trial by using orally administered sea buckthorn oils for the treatment of patient who had suffered from conditions described above, and had experienced a multitude of treatments. The patients took orally capsules of Omega 7 Sea Buckthorn Oil (extracted by supercritical CO2, kindly provided by Aromtech Ltd, Finland), a mixture of oils from seeds and berry soft parts, 3 capsules twice a day (3 g sea buckthorn oil per day) for 12 weeks. The committee of ethics accepted the study plan. Significant improvement was seen in three severe cases after sea buckthorn oil treatment. The best improvement was seen in patient No.2 representing as much as 66% decrease of the total VAS score. The average total score value was decreased by 46%, from 185 to 100 by sea buckthorn oil treatment. Estrogen levels at the end of trial were equal to the pretreatment measurements. None of the subjects reported any side effects.

^{Source: Erkkola R, Yang B. AgroFood Industry Hi-Tech. 2003;May-June.}

3. Sea buckthorn berry oil inhibits platelet aggregation.

A small-scale preliminary cross-over study was conducted to investigate the effects of supercritical CO(2)-extracted sea buckthorn berry oil (SBO) on some risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Special features of the oil are high proportions of palmitic (16:0), oleic (18:1n-9), palmitoleic (16:1n-7), linoleic (18:2n-6), and alpha-linolenic (18:3n-3) acids as well as vitamin E, carotenoids, and sterols. Twelve healthy normolipidemic men were recruited and each volunteer consumed SBO and fractionated coconut oil (control) 5 g per day for a period of 4 weeks in a random order (wash-out 4-8 weeks). Phospholipid fatty acids, plasma lipids, and glucose were unaffected by SBO supplementation. Instead, a clear decrease in the rate of adenosine-5'-diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation and maximum aggregation were found. This suggested the beneficial effects of SBO on blood clotting, but further studies on the dose-response effects are needed to assess the practical use of SBO supplements.

Source: Johansson AK, Korte H, Yang B, Stanley JC, Kallio HP. J Nutr Biochem. 2000;11(10):491-5.

4. Effects of sea buckthorn oil on the oral mucosa of Sjögren's syndrome patients: a pilot study

Sea buckthorn is a hardy bush with nutritious berries. It grows wild in different parts of Asia and Europe. Sea buckthorn berries and oils from different berry fractions are becoming more and more popular as special food supplements and ingredients in Japan, Europe and North America at a time when information on the effects of clinical nutrition is also increasing in the west. Beneficial effects of sea buckthorn oils on skin and mucosa have been reported in both animal experiments and clinical investigations. Our aim was to study the effect of orally ingested sea buckthorn oil on the condition of the oral mucosa and oral discomfort in patients suffering from symptoms of dry mouth. Three of 10 patients reported reduced symptoms; two patients reported improvement in skin after 5 g of sea buckthorn oil for one month.

^{Source: Le Bell AM, Söderling E, Rantanen I, Yang B, Kallio H. Presented at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Annual Meeting. San Diego, California. March 6 - 9, 2001.}

5. Effects of sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) seed and pulp oils on experimental models of gastric ulcer in rats.

Oils from sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) seeds and berries have traditionally been used in the treatment of disorders of skin and mucosa in China. Compared with the negative control, oral administration of CO(2)-extracted seed and pulp oils, 7.0 ml x kg(-1) x day(-1) significantly reduced ulcer

formation in water-immersion (P < 0.05) and reserpine-induced (P < 0.01) models in rats. In addition, administration of the two oils, 3.5 ml x kg(-1) x day(-1), significantly reduced the index of pylorus ligation-induced gastric ulcer (P < 0.05) and sped up the healing process of acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer (P < 0.01). The results suggested that the CO(2)-extracted sea buckthorn seed and pulp oils have both preventive and curative effects against experimental gastric ulcers in rats. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

^{Source: Xing J, Yang B, Dong Y, Wang B, Wang J, Kallio HP. Fitoterapia. 2002 Dec;73(7-8):644-50.}

6. Supercritical CO2 extracted sea buckthorn pulp oil and seed oil improve microcirculation.

The effects of supercritical CO2-extracted seabuckthorn seed oil (SBSO) and pulp oil (SBPO) on microcirculation were investigated using two independent experimental models. In the mouse auricular microcirculation model, topical application of SBSO and SBPO on mouse ear, once or twice per day, for three days increased the count of capillary net intersections by 17-41 percent and venular calibers by 11-25 percent on auricular area. Application of SBPO twice per day for three days increased the arteriolar calibers by 55 percent. I the rat mesenteric microcirculation model, a ten-minute immersion of mesenteries in 1-2 percent SBPO or SBSO in the Locke solution increased the count of mesenteric capillary net intersections by 22-41 percent and venular calibers by 11-25 percent. Immersion in 2 percent SBPO resulted in an increase of 25 percent in the mesenteric arteriolar calibers. These effects of seabuckthorn oils were found to be statistically significant by comparisons carried out between the corresponding values before and after treatment as well as between seabuckthorn oil-treated groups and the negative control groups, i.e. the group treated with distilled water in mice auricular microcirculation model and the group treated with 100 percent Locke solution in mesenteric microcirculation model. The effects of seabuckthorn oils were dose responsive in both models. The results suggest that supercritical CO2-extracted seabuckthorn seed and pulp oils have great potential in improving microcirculation.

^{Source: Yang B, Wu Y, Liu Q, Wang B, Kang J, Wang J, Kallio H. In: Sing B, et al, eds. Sea buckthorn: a multipurpose wonder plant. Vol III. Advances in Research and Development. 2008.p. 268-271.}

7. Effect of oral supplementation with capsules of supercritical CO2 extracted sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) oil on mucous membranes of patients of Sjorgren’s syndrome.

The oils from the seeds and fruit pulp/peel of sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) are rich in multiple lipophilic bioactive compounds. The oils are known to have beneficial effects on the mucous membranes and skin and to regulate the immune functions of the body. Sjögren′s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease affecting primarily the exocrine glands. SS patients suffer from dryness, pain and inflammation in the mucous membranes. A standardized capsule product containing seed oil and pulp oil of sea buckthorn (SBO) wasmanufactured by supercritical CO2 extraction technology. A double blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was carried out to investigate the effect of oral supplementation of SBO capsules on SS patients. Twenty four female SS patients of age 37-66 took randomly SBO and fractionated coconut oil capsules (FCO), six capsules (3.0 g oil) per day, each product for three months. Twelve typical symptoms of SS related to the condition of the mucosa in the eyes, mouth and genital tract and the skin were evaluated using a visual analogue scale method before and after each of the supplementation periods. Supplementation with SBO resulted in a higher percentage of improved patients in the condition of the mucosa of the genital tract compared with the FCO group (P < 0.01). The improvement was reflected as alleviations of itching, burning, pain, secretion and dryness of the mucosa. Compared with the FCO group, the SBO group showed a high rate of improvement in all the twelve symptoms followed by the study. The difference was statistically significant ((P < 0.01) at the end of the first supplementation period. The results suggest beneficial effects of the sea buckthorn oil capsule on the overall condition of the mucous membranes of patients of Sjögren′s syndrome.

^{Source: Yang B. Presented at the American Oil Chemists’ Society Annual Meeting. 2006. St. Louis, MO.}

8. Effects of sea buckthorn oil on skin.

Since ancient times sea buckthorn berry has been used as a valuable source of nutrients by local people, and its application in Asian traditional medicines dates back to more than one thousand years ago. In more than 300 ancient prescriptions sea buckthorn is used to improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation, regenerate skin and mucous membranes and treat gynaecology disorders. One special feature of sea buckthorn is that the berry contains oil both in seed (~10%) and in the soft parts (pulp oil from flesh and peel) (1%-5% f.w.). The seed oil is rich in essential fatty acids, linoleic (18:2n-6, 30-40%) and α-linolenic (18:3n-3, 30-40%) acids, and the pulp oil is the richest source of palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7, up to 50% of total fatty acids), rarely found in the plant kingdom. Both seed oil and pulp oil contain high levels of natural virtamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols) and plant sterols. In addition, the soft part oil is especially rich in natural carotenoids. The origin (subspecies) and harvesting time of the berries as well as oil isolation technology influence the oil composition.

^{Source: Yang B and Kallio H. Asia Pacific Personal Care. 2003;4(5):46-49.}

9. Oils containing oleic acid palmitoleic acid, linolenic acid and stearidonic acid.

No abstract available.

^{Source: Yang B. In: Gunstone FD, ed. Lipids for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. Oily Press Ltd; 2003:263-290.}

10. Effects of dietary supplementation with sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) seed and pulp oils on atopic dermatitis.

A placebo-controlled, double-blind study was conducted to investigate the effects of seed and pulp oils of sea buckthorn (Hipphophae rhamnoides) on atopic dermatitis. Linoleic (34%), alpha-linolenic (25%), and oleic (19%) acids were the major fatty acids in the seed oil, whereas palmitic (33%), oleic (26%), and palmitoleic (25%) acids were the major fatty acids in the pulp oil. The study group included 49 atopic dermatitis patients who took 5 g (10 capsules) of seed oil, pulp oil, or paraffin oil daily for 4 months. During follow-up dermatitis improved significantly in the pulp oil (P < 0.01) and paraffin oil (P < 0.001) groups, but improvement in the seed oil group was not significant (P = 0.11). Supplementation of seed oil increased the proportion of alpha-linolenic acid in plasma neutral lipids (P < 0.01), and increases of linoleic, alpha-linolenic, and eicosapentaenoic acids in plasma phospholipids were close to significant (0.05 < P < 0.1). Pulp oil treatment increased the proportion of palmitoleic acid (P < 0.05) and lowered the percentage of pentadecanoic acid (P < 0.01) in both plasma phospholipids and neutral lipids. In the seed oil group, after 1 month of supplementation, positive correlations were found between symptom improvement and the increase in proportions of alpha-linolenic acid in plasma phospholipids (Rs = 0.84; P = 0.001) and neutral lipids (Rs = 0.68; P = 0.02). No changes in the levels of triacylglycerols, serum total, or specific immunoglobulin E were detected. In the pulp oil group, a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, from 1.38 to 1.53 mmol/L was observed.

 ^{Source: Yang B, Kalimo KO, Mattila LM, et al. J Nutr Biochem. 1999;10(11):622-30.}

11. Effect of dietary supplementation with sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) seed and pulp oils on the fatty acid composition of skin glycerophospholipids of patients with atopic dermatitis.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) seed and pulp oils have traditionally been used for treating skin diseases in China and Russia, but are not widely used in other countries. A placebo-controlled, parallel study was carried out to investigate the effects of these oils on the fatty acid composition of skin

glycerophospholipids of patients with atopic dermatitis. Sixteen patients ate 5 g of sea buckthorn seed oil, pulp oil, or paraffin oil daily for 4 months. Skin fatty acids were analyzed with gas chromatography before and after treatment. The seed oil slightly increased the proportion of docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3) and decreased the proportion of palmitic acid (16:0) in skin glycerophospholipids (0.05 < P < 0.1). The levels of the other fatty acids remained stable. The results show that the fatty acid composition of skin glycerophospholipids is well buffered against short-term dietary modification.

^{Source: Yang B, Kalimo KO, Tahvonen RL, Mattila LM, Katajisto JK, Kallio HP. J Nutr Biochem. 2000 Jun;11(6):338-40.}

12. Composition and physiological effects of sea buckthorn (Hippophaë) lipids

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) berry has a long history of application as a food and medicinal ingredient in eastern countries. Both seeds and the soft parts (fruit flesh and peel) of the berry are rich in lipids. The oils isolated from the two fractions differ in fatty acid composition and both are abundant in fat-soluble vitamins and plant sterols. The composition varies according to origin and harvesting time of the berries and the method of oil isolation. Results of clinical investigations and animal experiments suggest a wide range of positive effects of the oils. The composition, nutritional effects, and industrial application of sea buckthorn lipids are reviewed in this paper.

^{Source: Yang B, Kallio H. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2002;13(5):160-167.}