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

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 °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 ) and sterols (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 (1683–1840 mg 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 CO 2 . Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry