Hippophaes Eubias - Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil

 

Hippophae Eubias ™ (by Astra Medical Hellas) 

 

 

 

Hippophae rhamnoides is one of the oldest land plants, dated back to the ice age. First reports referring to its therapeutic effects appear in the 4^th century B.C. According to historical sources, Hippophae was part of Alexander the Great soldiers’ diet. It was observed that sick and injured horses were healed by leaves and fruit of this plant. References of its use as drug are also found in classical Tibetan and Chinese medicine; other sources report that in the 13^th century Jenkins Khan had been using it in his campaigns. It was not until 1929 that the first biochemical analysis of Hippophae fruits took place, and since then, our knowledge of its medicinal properties is increasing. Nowadays, Hippophae is one of the most prestigious plants of modern alternative medicine.

 

Supplement

Hippophae rhamnoides, also known as sea buckthorn, is a member of the Elaeagnaceae family. It germinates as wild large shrub in Eurasia; oil of its fruits is extracted by crushing, no chemicals added. According to biochemical analysis made, Hippophae oil contains more than 190 nutrients and organic substances. The Astra Medical Hellas company disposes the nutritional supplement named Hippophae Eubias™, containing 350 mg Hippophae ramnoides oil extract/ capsule (TD No 75-09). It is also available in powder form (TD No 59-09).

 

Active compounds

Hippophae rhamnoides contains vitamin C, alpha-tocopherol, large amount of carotenoids and vitamin E, mineral elements (K, Na, Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn, Se), monosaccharides sugars, organic acids, free amino-acids, volatile compounds, various flavonoids (quercetin, myricetin and kaempferol), fatty acids, triacylglycerol, glycerolphospholipids, phytosterols, zeaxanthin esters, and phelonic compounds. Due to its compounds, H. rhamnoides manifests various beneficial actions: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antitumoral, hepato-protective, and immuno-modulatory.

 

Antioxidant effect

Various in vitro and in vivo studies clearly demonstrate that H. rhamnoides L. has antioxidant activity. The leaf extract of this plant protects significantly male albino rats from chromium induced oxidative injury. Hexane extract of H. rhamnoides L. fruits has shown to inhibit nicotine-induced oxidative stress in rat erythrocytes. However, it could not prevent nicotine-induced oxidative stress in the brain of these rats, probably because it could not have been diffused to the rat brain, so as to exert its antioxidant effect. Hexane extract of H. rhamnoides L. has also prevented the depletion of the most abundant thiol, glutathione, in gastric tissue of ethanol-administered rats.

 

Immunomodulatory effects

The leaf extract of sea buckthorn has significant immunomodulatory activity and specifically activates the cell-mediated immune response. In chromium-induced immuno-suppressed animals, the leaf extract of sea buckthorn significantly inhibited chromium-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and maintained the cell size identical to that of control cells. In addition, the leaf extract (100 μg/ ml) alone, stimulated IL-2 and γ-IFN production, and also inhibited chromium-induced decline in IL-2 and γ-IFN production; however, it did not change IL-4 production.

 

Cardiovascular disease

H. rhamnoeides is used as anti-cardiovascular medicine. The supplementation of H. rhamnoides L. juice (with vitamin C, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and flavonoids) increased plasma HDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations by 20% and 17%, respectively, in healthy male volunteers. In addition, supplementation resulted in a moderate decrease in the susceptibility of LDL-C to oxidation in these subjects.

 

Total flavones of H. rhamnoides L. fruit have prolonged thrombotic occlusion time in a mouse femoral artery thrombosis model by the photochemical reaction between intravenously injected rose bengal and green light irradiation. In the same study, total flavones have inhibited in vitro platelet aggregation induced by collagen, in a concentration dependent manner. In an animal study, the flavonoids of sea buckthorn were shown to reduce the production of pathogenic thromboses in mice. In addition, total flavones (100 mg/L) decreased in vitro the duration of repolarisation period in both cultured rat myocardial cells and guinea pig papillary muscles; thus they contribute in better myocardial function.

 

Cancer

Hippophae alcohol extract containing mainly flavonoids is reported to protect bone marrow from damage due to radiation; it might also help bone marrow cells recover faster. In an animal model, mice fed with sea buckthorn oil, had their hemopoietic system recovered faster after high dose chemotherapy. Antitumor effects of fruit juice and seed oil, and prevention of aminopyrine-induced tumour production in rats, by juice of H. rhamnoides L., have been reported.

 

Antimicrobial effects

A few studies show that H. rhamnoides L. has antimicrobial effects. Phenolic compounds of H. rhamnoides L. berry inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria.

 

Antiulcerogenic effect

Curative and preventive effects of H. rhamnoides L. against experimental gastric ulcers in rats have been reported by various studies. Hexane extract from H. rhamnoides fruits have demonstrated antiulcerogenic effects on indomethacin- and stress-induced ulcer models, and on ethanol-induced gastric lesion. Acceleration of healing process of acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer, by oils of CO₂^- extract from the seeds and pulp of Hippophae rhamnoides L., has also been reported.

 

Dermatological effects

Beneficial effect of H. rhamnoides L. in dermatological disorders is known. Of the 4 months oral supplementation of pulp and seed oils in patients with atopic dermatitis, improvement in dermatitis was followed only in pulp oil supplemented group.

 

Effects on liver injury

Clinical effects of H. rhamnoides L. oil on liver fibrosis have also been tested recently. The oil treatment has also notably shortened the duration for normalization of aminotransferases. The results suggest that seed oil of H. rhamnoides L. may also be a useful for prevention and treatment of liver diseases.

 

Radioprotective effects

Protection against whole body lethal irradiation by whole berries of H. rhamnoides L., has been reported in mice. Goel et al. have demonstrated on mice that alcoholic extract have rendered 82% survival as compared to no survival in irradiated control. As proved, this extract had induced a strong compaction of chromatin, as was evident from lack of tail and appearance of intensely stained circular bodies (in Comet assay single cell gel electrophoresis). This could have made the nuclei resistant even to a radiation dose of 1000 Gy. The alcoholic extract has also inhibited radiation-induced and tertiary butyl hydro peroxide (TBHP)-induced DNA strand breaks, in a dose dependent manner. The ability of this alcoholic extract of H. rhamnoides L. to protect DNA could mainly be attributed to direct modulation of chromatin. 

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