Carmen SOCACIU¹, Anja NOKE²

1) Department of Agrifood Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

2) TTZ Bremerhaven, Germany

The tremendous nutritional and medicinal value of Sea Buckthorn berries, seeds and leaves is yet well documented. A well known product derived from Sea Buckthorn fruits is the oil, used currently as a strong antioxidant and UV-protector ingredient for skin care products or as food supplement.

Our previous studies were focused on the separation (by ecological procedures, avoiding organic solvents and high temperatures) of the genuine carotenoid-lipoprotein-complexes of sea buckthorn from fruit skin and pulp. These complexes are of chromoplastic origin and have a higher content of bio-active molecules than the pulp oil. Their analysis (via HPTLC, HPLC, GC, UV-Vis spectrometry) demonstrated the variety of their components: neutral and polar lipids, glycolipids, un-covalently bound proteins, polar and non-polar carotenoid pigments, flavonoids and vitamins E and C. The higher polarity, stability and functionality of such complexes versus oils offer a better protection to human cells providing advantages for their future use.

The development of innovative products based on these complexes represents the main objective of the CRAFT- EU Project (G5ST-CT-2002-50352). The improvement of the extraction and purification procedures for the carotenoid-lipoprotein-complex and the production of new added-value cosmetic formulas will valorise the Sea Buckthorn fruits. Other possibilities to use the by-products (powders from fruit skin and seeds, clear juice) as food additives are envisaged.