Sea buckthorn
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Sea buckthorn
By Faiza Ilyas
Sea buckthorn –– found in ample quantities in Pakistan’s Northern Areas --- has been found to be extremely effective in the treatment of cancer. Due to the high content of several nutrients essential for the metabolism of skin cells, sea buckthorn oil is used to combat wrinkles, dryness and other symptoms of malnourished or prematurely aging skin. Research has shown that the plant's vigorous root growth effectively reduces soil loss by more than 80 per cent
Though extensively grown in the temperate zones of Asia and Europe for thousands of years, very few people in our country know about sea buckthorn. Our ignorance is unfortunate, and perhaps can be partly attributed to the apathy of successive governments which have hardly done anything to explore this natural resource widely available in the Northern Areas, to combat poverty and boost the economy.
It was in 1994 that the government came to know about the various benefits of this outstanding shrub. But ironically enough, the very organisation that initiated the project, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal), scrapped the plan after a change of government in Islamabad.
This feature, based on the information mostly taken from the Internet and the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), Peshawar Laboratories, is aimed to create awareness about this shrub that has been rightly named 'the millennium plant', whose berries have proven to be among the most nutritious fruits known.
Called Oblepikha in Russia, Yashildoo Chatsargana in Mongolia, Sanddorn in Germany, Argousier in France, Espino Armarillo in Spain, Finbar in Sweden, Tinved in Denmark and Suk-paloo in Pakistan, sea buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides) belongs to the family of Elaeagnaceae. It has six species and 12 sub-species. More than 90 per cent or about 1.5 per cent million hectares of the world's sea buckthorn resources are found in China, where it is mainly planted for soil and water conservation purposes. About 3,000 hectares is covered by sea buckthorn in the Northern Areas of Pakistan.
The elegant, needle-like leaves and bright yellow to orange fruits give the sea buckthorn a rather exotic appearance. The shrub is said to have come to Europe from Tibet 17,000 years ago with the ice age. The references to the medicinal use of sea buckthorn were found in the ancient Greek texts attributed to Theophrastus and Dioskorid and in classic Tibetan medicinal texts, including the 'the RGyud Bzi' (The four books of Pharmacopoeia) attributed to the time of the Tang Dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty period from 1271 to 1368, sea buckthorn fruits were prescribed as health products for emperors. Legends about sea buckthorn tell us how the ancient Greeks used it in a diet for race horses, hence its botanical name is 'Hippophae' –– shiny horse.
According to another legend, sea buckthorn leaves were the preferable food of the flying horse, Pegasus. One of the most striking legends refers to the custom in some ancient kingdoms to execute convicts by dropping them into a barrel of boiling oil. The legend tells that if the oil in the barrel was substituted by the sea buckthorn oil, the convict had a chance of surviving.
Sea buckthorn has been known for centuries as a source for herbal medicines, vitamins and skin care products with nourishing revitalizing and restorative actions. Various skin care, cosmetic and dietary products made of sea buckthorn are traditionally popular in different parts of the world. The nutritious berries have three to 16 times as much vitamin C as the Kiwi fruit. Its super oxide dismatuse content of the fruit juice is four times higher than that found in Ginseng. A berry contains 24 minerals, 18 amino acids and eight vitamins including A, B, C and E carotenes, and is rich in flavonoids.
Sea buckthorn oil is widely used in the treatment of various skin conditions including burns, sunburns, bad healing wounds, eczema, acne, dermatitis, skin ulcers, cancer therapeutic radiation treatment and cosmetic laser surgery. Current research indicates that not only does it enhance immune activity and disease resistance, but it also destroys harmful free radicals found in our bodies. It also helps in improving gum conditions.
Sea buckthorn has been found to be extremely effective in the treatment of cancer, especially stomach and esophageal cancer and carcinoma of the rectum and liver, as it stops the growing of cancer-inducing factors and strengthens the patients' immune system by reducing the effects of cancer therapy. It is also used for reduction of cardiovascular risk factors, including cholesterol, and for treatment of gastrointestinal ulcers. It is a liver protective agent (for chemical toxins) and a remedy for liver cirrhosis.
Examination of the fatty acid profile of sea buckthorn reveals that its seed oil contains nearly 90 per cent of unsaturated fat. The oil is an excellent source of these polyunsaturated (essential) fatty acids that are necessary for maintaining good health, normal growth and development. Also, sea buckthorn seed oil is the only seed oil that naturally provides a 1:1 ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6. This 1:1 ratio is vital for a healthy immune system. The oil can be an important part of restoring healthy balance of fatty acids that we have lost through our modern diet.
Due to the high content of several nutrients essential for the metabolism of skin cells, sea buckthorn oil is used to combat wrinkles, dryness and other symptoms of malnourished or prematurely aging skin. It is also taken as a natural dietary supplement. The plant's ability to hold its bright orange clustered berries throughout the winter makes it an attractive choice for land beautification. Hedgerows encourage wildlife offering winter protection and feed.
According to a research conducted by Zhungeer County of Inner Mongolia, one sheep or goat fed with sea buckthorn produced five kilograms more mutton or 30 per cent more wool than those fed on other fodders. Sea buckthorn is a promising energy plant because of its high quantity of biomass, high calorific value and quick recovery after cutting. The bushes also meet the increasing requirement of firewood for farmers.
A research states that each plant of sea buckthorn can produce 7.8-10.5 tons of firewood, which is equal to six to eight tons of standard coal. The ability of sea buckthorn to fix nitrogen and other essential minerals in the soil has made it a popular choice for land reclamation. Research has shown that the plant's vigorous root growth effectively reduces soil loss by more than 80 per cent. The wide adaptation, fast growth, strong suckering habits coupled with efficient nitrogen fixation make sea buckthorn particularly suitable for planting in ruined soils.
The shrub, which can reach a height of five metres, has a main root which reaches deep into the earth from which come out the shallow side roots. This gives sea buckthorn a good hold even on unstable ground, and is often planted to stabilize embankments. In Canada, sea buckthorn has proven to be highly beneficial for enhancement of wildlife habitat, farmstead shelter belts, erosion control, and land reclamation.
Growing the plant
Sea buckthorn is an undemanding, cold resistant plant, which can grow into a beautiful bush or tree depending upon the soil, climate and watering. It has a very strong life and can grow in the worst environmental conditions, can tolerate drought and maritime exposure. However, it cannot grow under a shade.
The plant will reward the grower with natural multivitamins after about five years of cultivation. Both male and female plants are required to have berries. The plant grows naturally in sandy soil at an altitude of 1,200-4,500 metres (4,000 to 14,000 feet) in cold climates, though it can be cultivated at lower altitudes and in temperate zones as well.
The transformation of the raw berry into a sophisticated product requires appropriate harvest, transportation, handling and storage procedures. Firm berry attachment to the fruiting branch has enormous difficulties for harvesting.
A nutritional tea
Sea buckthorn leaves are handpicked early in the growing cycle. The leaves are then naturally air dried and packaged. Considerable amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium are contained in the leaves. Dietary research and studies have found that antioxidants and flavonoids help reduce cholesterol. Further studies have found that lycopene present in it lowers the incidents of prostate, stomach and gastrointestinal cancers. Sea buckthorn leaves may contain up to 24 per cent protein. Steeped for 15 minutes, sea buckthorn tea is a mild tasting healthy drink.
The Chinese experience
Sea buckthorn has been developed into a major resource in China. In 1977, the shrub was officially listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia by the Ministry of Public Health and the reputation of sea buckthorn as a medicinal plant was established. More than 10 different drugs have been developed from it to treat oral, rectal, and vaginal mucositis, cervical erosion, radiation damage, burns, scalds, duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, chilblains and skin ulcers caused by malnutrition and other skin damage.
The contribution of sea buckthorn in ecological rehabilitation, controlling water losses and soil erosion in China and Mongolia has been enormous. For instance, Jianping County in Liaoning Province of Northeast China enjoyed a time when mountains were green and the water was clean. Indiscriminate logging, however, over the centuries led to a forest coverage rate of only 1.9 per cent and serious land degradation. The eroded area in Jianping County had encompassed 81 per cent of the total area. The semi-arid climate, frequent disasters such as floods, droughts, storms and the degraded natural environment had made Jianing County one of the poorest areas in China.
After having validated sea buckthorn as the most competitive species in this harsh environment for the purpose of controlling water losses and soil erosion, a total of 67,000 hectares of sea buckthorn were planted in the county. This helped to increase the vegetation cover from four per cent in the 1950s to 34 per cent in the 1990s. Run-off and soil erosion were reduced by 90 per cent and 70 per cent respectively. Fodder, fuel wood and berries contribute to local economic development. Several wild animals' species have found a habitat, including pheasant, hare and fox in the region.
Processing and sale of sea buckthorn products has been initiated in many regions of China since the 1980s. According to statistics, there are more than 200 sea buckthorn processing factories in China, developing more than 100 kinds of products including foodstuff, beverage, medicine, cosmetic, healthcare products, chemical and industrial materials etc.
It may be mentioned here that sea buckthorn's popularity in America has been slow due to the fact that the shrub is not a native to this continent. Sea buckthorn was, apparently, taken to America by Russian immigrants at the beginning of 20th century.
A neglected plant
For a long time, sea buckthorn had been used as fodder for livestock, firewood and for fencing purposes to keep animals away from agricultural fields by locals in the Northern Areas. No attention was ever given to its development. Indeed, it seems that no scientists studied its potential till 1996, when, on the request of Dr Zafar Altaf, Chairman, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), a feasibility study was conducted by a UN-sponsored Kathmandu-based organisation, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The study was carried out by Professor Lu Rongsen, a Chinese expert. The study assessed that about 3,000 hectares was covered by sea buckthorn in the Northern Areas. And the fruit borne by these shrubs amounted to 1,200-2,400 tonnes. In 1997, another study was conducted by Chinese experts on behalf of PARC and Aga Khan Rural Support Programme. At that time Farooq Leghari, the then President, who was taking special interest in the matter, brought 1,500 samplings of high quality sea buckthorn from China for improvement in local plantations. A team was also sent to study the development and usage of sea buckthorn. In the same year, a lengthy survey was conducted in Gilgit district, Gizher and Hunza valleys and some villages in these areas. According to the findings of the Chinese team, the area was ‘extremely rich in sea buckthorn which naturally grows in the river banks, alluvia fans and wastelands below the water channels.’ Besides proposing new plantations and basic research on the biochemical compositions of sea buckthorn’s fruit, the team suggested the establishment of a primary processing factory in Gilgit city to process raw juice, pulp oil, seeds and fruit residues from the sea buckthorn’s berries. From where, it was suggested, that they should be sold to enterprises in Islamabad, Lahore or some other point in Pakistan to China for final processing. The government was also advised to approach entrepreneurs to become involved in research and manufacturing of sea buckthorn’s products. –– Zafar Samdani
Sea buckthorn in Pakistan
Sea buckthorn, an important member of the 'hippophae' family of plants, is indigenous to Pakistan and there are an estimated 3,000 hectares of naturally occurring sea buckthorn forests in Skardu, Chitral, Gilgit and Swat. Unfortunately, few local people know of the economic potential of this small tree and simply use it as fuelwood or to form prickly, protective barriers around their fields. Back in 1997, the National Arid Land Development and Research Institute (NADRI), in co-ordination with the Agha Khan Rural Support Project (AKRSP) in Gilgit, launched an ambitious project to encourage people to cultivate sea buckthorn as a crop and harvest the all important berries for processing in a small factory in that locality. China has long recognized the importance of this plant and has over 150 factories processing the berries in to over 200 products including medicines, beverages, food and cosmetic items and it was hoped to replicate this industry here. However, things did not go as planned despite the close involvement of Chinese experts and the Hamdard organisation.
In field trials, it was found that sea buckthorn was not a suitable crop for creating plantations in the Islamabad area and I can personally vouch for the fact that it doesn't enjoy the soil and climatic conditions of the Bhurban and Nathia Gali localities either. The only two specimens surviving in my own garden are pretty sickly specimens.
It would now appear that there is renewed interest in cultivating sea buckthorn for commercial purposes and this would be of great benefit to those prepared to plant it on their land, in climatically suitable locations, tend it as required.
A few interesting facts about this multi-purpose plant are:
- The fruit contains 60 - 80 per cent juice in which sugar, organic acids, amino acids and vitamins are highly evident.
- Vitamin C is 200 - 1500mg per 100gms.
- Fruit contains three to five per cent pulp oil and eight to 18 per cent seed oil rich in unsaturated acids, B-carotene and Vitamin E.
- An eight to 10 year old sea buckthorn forest can fix 180kgs of nitrogen/ha/year.
- A six-year-old sea buckthorn plantation can produce 18 tons of fuel wood.
- The heat value of sea buckthorn wood is 4,785.5 calories/kilogramme.
- One ton of sea buckthorn wood is equal to 0.68 ton of standard coal.
- Leaves contain 11 - 22 per cent crude protein, three to six per cent crude fat, some flavonoids and make excellent fodder for sheep, goats and cattle. — Zahrah Nasir
PSCIR’s contribution
In 2000, the Ministry of Agriculture asked the Pakistan Council of Science and Industrial Research (PCSIR) to carry out research work on sea buckthorn, using the facilities at PCSIR Skardu and Peshawar. So far, the research organisation has developed 23 processes for food, cosmetics and medicinal products from sea buckthorn that include oil, carbonated beverages, nectar, granule, jams, jellies, juice concentrate, cereals, instant juice, powders, kinnoo blended nectar, papaya blended nectar, cold cream, vanishing cream, candies and biscuits. As a result of the PCSIR’s efforts to create awareness among the locals about the many benefits of sea buckthorn, the locals have started selling dried berries at a rate of Rs60kg. It is also being exported on a limited scale. Its oil is being sold at Rs4,000 per litre in the local market and at Rs6,000 per litre in the international market. Director General PSCIR, Peshawar, Mohammad Tariq says that the organisation has suggested to the government to start commercial production of the value-added products based on the technologies developed by PCSIR, which has joined hands with a private firm to put these technologies into valuable products and start its commercial production. “The PCSIR has suggested to the government to establish sea buckthorn processing industries to create more employment opportunities for boosting economic activity and development of the area. We also need appropriate technology to preserve and transform the fruit into an exportable product,” he said. –– F. I.
