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| Sea Buckthorn: The wonder Shrub | | | Dr. Pragya Khanna
The Sea buckthorns are
deciduous shrubs that
grow naturally in sandy soil at an altitude of 1,200-4,500 meters in cold climates, though it can be cultivated at lower altitudes and into temperate zones. They can survive temperatures as low as - 40°C, and are both drought and salt tolerant. Recently it has been extensively planted across much of northern China, and in other countries, to prevent soil erosion and to serve as an economic reserve for food and medicine products. The fruit can vary in both shape and color, but are typically globose to egg-shaped berries ranging from yellow to bright orange in color. The blend of fruit shape and size, together with the contrast between the color of the fruit and leaves, adds even to the ornamental value of this plant.
Sea buckthorn, commonly known as Leh berry, is grown wildly throughout Ladakh. Provided with incredible medicinal properties each part of the plant like the bark, leaves and fruit offer significance to the farmer, while its oil is a high-value product with several applications in cosmetic and skin care products industry. It also provides fuel and the leaves of the plant are used in making green tea that is rich in flavonoids and antioxidants, while the nutrient-rich fruit can be converted into soft drinks, jams and squashes. The production of sea-buckthorn in Leh is estimated at 12,000 tonnes, however only five per cent of the produce is being harvested currently with the rest going waste for the need of pre and post-harvest technology.
Sea buckthorn berries are versatile, edible and nutritious, though very sour and tart due to their acidic properties and are thus distasteful to eat raw, unless they are frosted to lessen the astringency and/or mixed as a juice with sweeter substances such as apple or grape juice. They can also be used to make pies or jam. The fruit is rich with 100 different nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, carotenoids, flavonoids, oils rich in essential fatty acids, and other healthy components. Both the flavonoids and the oils from sea buckthorn have several potential applications, they provide an aid to patients undergoing cancer therapy; assist in a long-term therapy for reduction of cardiovascular risk factors; treatment of gastrointestinal ulcers; internal and topical therapy for a variety of skin disorders; as a liver protective agent (for chemical toxins) and a remedy for liver cirrhosis. Sea buckthorn oil is already widely used alone or in various preparations topically applied for burns, scalds, ulcerations, and infections. It is an ingredient in sun block oil and has UV-blocking activity and helps in promoting regeneration of tissues. The fruit may also be used for benefiting the hair.
Grown widely throughout its native China and other mainland regions of Asia, sea-buckthorn is used as an herbal medicine since centuries to ease cough, aid digestion, stimulate blood circulation and alleviate pain. In Mongolia, the extracts of sea buckthorn branches and leaves are used to treat gastrointestinal distress in humans and animals. The bark and leaves of the plant are used for treating minor ailments such as diarrhea, gastrointestinal, dermatologic disorders and topical compressions for rheumatoid arthritis. Due to its hemostatic and anti-in?ammatory effects, the fruits are added to drugs for pulmonary, gastrointestinal, cardiac, blood and metabolic disorders in Indian, Chinese and Tibetan medicines. Sea buckthorn berry components have potential anticarcinogenic activity. Fresh juice, syrup and berry or seed oils are used for colds, fever, exhaustion, as an analgesic or treatment for stomach ulcers, cancer, and metabolic disorders.
The oil extracted from the plant has three principal benefits. It is a perfect therapy for anti-inflammation applications, outstanding for lowering cholesterol, and an antioxidant for balancing the immune system. Taken internally, it is excellent for relieving gastro-intestinal ulcers and pain by protecting mucus membranes and is used to treat Laryngopharyngitis. It has also been found to inhibit a variety of harmful bacteria such as E.coli, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Typhoid bacillus, and Bacillus dysenteria.
The Leh and Kargil districts in Jammu and Kashmir state are bestowed with heavenly tranquility with their glorious mountains and beyond doubt the natural legacy of widely grown plants in these places, such as sea buckthorn in Leh, and apricot in Kargil provide utmost potential for efficient trade. For that reason there is a dire need to develop the methods of harvesting the berry content and the shrub in order to enhance the profit to the local populace in these remote areas. |
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