Hippophae rhamnoides Prevents Oleic Acid-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome by Releasing Acetylcholinesterase Activity and Mitigation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Level.

Hippophae rhamnoides exhibit a wide variety of medicinal and pharmacological effects. The present study aims to determine the role of ethanol extract of H. rhamnoides on oleic acid (OA)-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in rats. Male rats were randomly divided into the following groups: (I) Control, (II) OA, and (III) OA+H. rhamnoides. H. rhamnoides extract (500 mg/kg) was given orally for 2 weeks before OA in Group III. Levels of total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status (TOS), myeloperoxidase (MPO), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was utilized to evaluate the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2). Also, Caspase-3 immunostaining and expression were performed to evaluate apoptosis. Compared with the OA group, there was a significantly decrease in the levels of MPO, TOS, MAPK, and ACE and in the expression of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, MMP2, and Caspase-3 in the H. rhamnoides administration group. Moreover, the activity of AChE and level of TAS were substantially higher in the H. rhamnoides administration compared with the OA group. The findings in the study suggest that the protective effect of H. rhamnoides pretreatment may act through inhibition of the ACE activity, releasing AChE, regulation of inflammatory cytokine levels, and suppression of apoptotic process in ARDS.

Improvement of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) flavonoids on the antioxidant and immune performance of Yellow River carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) fed high-carbohydrate diet.

High-carbohydrate (HC) diets may lead to the deterioration of the antioxidant and immune properties of Yellow River carp and the healthy development of the industry. Studies in mammals have found that sea buckthorn flavonoids (SF) improve antioxidant and immune performance. Therefore, this study comprehensively evaluated the effects of SF on Yellow River carp using in vitro and feeding trials with an HC diet. Control (C, 27.23 %), high-carbohydrate (HC, 42.99 %), and HC + SF (0.1 %, 0.2 %, and 0.4 %) groups were studied in a 10-week aquaculture experiment. The main findings were as follows: (1) SF scavenged O2·-, ·OH, and DPPH free radicals in vitro, which gradually increased with the SF concentration. (2) The antioxidant and immune performance of Yellow River carp was enhanced by dietary supplementation with SF, which involved the regulation of activities of antioxidant and immune enzymes, as well as their changes at the transcription and protein levels. In terms of antioxidant properties, compared to the HC group, HC + SF significantly decreased the activities of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and the contents of H2O2 and malondialdehyde in the serum and hepatopancreas. The activities of glutathione, glutathione-Px, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total antioxidant activity in the HC-diet group. In contrast, the addition of SF increased antioxidant enzyme activity. In the hepatopancreas and muscles, SF regulated and activated Nrf2-Keap1, a key signaling pathway for oxidative stress. SF significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of downstream genes (gr, ho-1, cat, and sod) regulated by nrf2. In terms of immune performance, 0.4 % SF markedly increased the activity of immune-related enzymes. SF inhibited the gene expression of pro-inflammatory factors induced by the HC diet and promoted the gene expression of anti-inflammatory factors. In addition, the resistance of Yellow River carp to Aeromonas hydrophila was enhanced by SF. In summary, SF supplementation can reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory harm caused by the HC diet and improve the antioxidant and immune performance of Yellow River carp to varying degrees.

Sea buckthorn oil regulates primary myoblasts proliferation and differentiation in vitro.

Skeletal muscle is the main edible part of meat products, and its development directly affects the yield and palatability of meat. Sea buckthorn oil (SBO) contains plenty of bioactive substances and has been recognized as a potential functional food product. The study aimed to explore the effects and possible mechanisms of SBO on sheep primary myoblast proliferation and myogenic differentiation. The results implied that SBO exhibited a pro-proliferative effect on primary myoblasts, along with up-regulated proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Cyclin D1/cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) abundances. And, SBO promoted myotube formation by increasing the expression of myogenin. Meanwhile, we found that SBO inhibited the expression of miRNA-292a. Moreover, the regulatory effect of SBO on myogenic differentiation of myoblasts was attenuated by miRNA-292a mimics. Of note, SBO activated protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and augmented glucose uptake and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) content, which might be attributed to AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. Additionally, the results were shown that SBO increased the abundance of antioxidative enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gpx4) and catalase. In summary, these data suggested that SBO regulated the proliferation and myogenic differentiation of sheep primary myoblasts in vitro, which might potentiate the application of SBO in muscle growth.

Hippophae rhamnoides L. leaf and twig extracts as rich sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity.

Plants have served for centuries as sources of compounds useful for human health such as antioxidant, anti-diabetic and antitumor agents. They are also rich in nutrients that improve the human diet. Growing demands for these compounds make it important to seek new sources for them. Hippophae rhamnoides L. is known as a plant with health-promoting properties. In this study we investigated the chemical composition and biological properties of bioactive components of ethanol extracts from leaves and twigs of H. rhamnoides L. Chemical components such as the total content of phenolic compounds, vitamins and amino acids and the antioxidant activities of these compounds in cellular and cell-free systems were assessed. The results suggest that the studied extracts are rich in bioactive compounds with potent antioxidant properties. Cytotoxicity and hemotoxicity assays showed that the extracts had low toxicity on human cells over the range of concentrations tested. Interaction with human serum albumin was investigated and conformational changes were observed. Our results indicate that leaf and twig extracts of H. rhamnoides L. should be considered as a non-toxic source of bioactive compounds which may be of interest to the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

The Protective Role of Hippophae rhamnoides L. on Rat Brain and Liver Tissues Exposed to Cold Plus Immobilization Stress Model.

AIM: To investigate the protective role of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (Sea buckthorn, SBT) in cold plus immobilization stress-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-two Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups: control (i.p. physiological saline), SBT (i.p. 200 mg/kg/48h SBT extract), stress (i.p. physiological saline; 6-h cold plus immobilization stress) and SBT+stress (i.p. 200 mg/kg/48h SBT; 6-h cold plus immobilization stress).* In liver and brain tissues 3-nitrotyrosine levels were determined by ELISA while total antioxidant capacity, total thiol, total glutathione, total nitrite+nitrate levels, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were measured using colorimetric methods. RESULTS: In the SBT+stress group, the total glutathione levels and glutathione peroxidase activities were significantly higher in both tissues, whereas the total nitrite+nitrate levels and superoxide dismutase activities decreased compared with the stress group. The 3-nitrotyrosine levels as oxidative and nitrosative stress markers were found to be significantly higher in SBT+stress group in both tissues than in the control. No significant differences were found between the stress and SBT+stress groups in the liver. CONCLUSION: The results show that SBT has antioxidant properties against cold plus immobilization stress-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress and that it can be recommended as a natural antioxidant and nutritional supplement.

Omega-7 oil increases telomerase activity and accelerates healing of grafted burn and donor site wounds.

This study investigated the efficacy of Omega-7 isolated from the sea buckthorn oil (Polyvit Co., Ltd, Gangar Holding, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) in ovine burn wound healing models. In vitro, proliferation (colony-forming rate) and migration (scratch) assays using cultured primary ovine keratinocytes were performed with or without 0.025% and 0.08% Omega-7, respectively. The colony-forming rate of keratinocytes in the Omega-7 group at 72 and 96 h were significantly higher than in the control (P < 0.05). The percentage of closure in scratch assay in the Omega-7 group was significantly higher than in the control at 17 h (P < 0.05). In vivo, efficacy of 4% Omega-7 isolated from buckthorn oil was assessed at 7 and 14 days in grafted ovine burn and donor site wounds. Telomerase activity, keratinocyte growth factor, and wound nitrotyrosine levels were measured at day 14. Grafted sites: Un-epithelialized raw surface area was significantly lower and blood flow was significantly higher in the Omega-7-treated sites than in control sites at 7 and 14 days (P < 0.05). Telomerase activity and levels of keratinocyte growth factors were significantly higher in the Omega-7-treated sites after 14 days compared to those of control (P < 0.05). The wound 3-nitrotyrosine levels were significantly reduced by Omega-7. Donor sites: the complete epithelialization time was significantly shorter and blood flow at day 7 was significantly higher in the Omega-7-treated sites compared to control sites (P < 0.05). In summary, topical application of Omega-7 accelerates healing of both grafted burn and donor site wounds. Omega-7 should be considered as a cost-efficient and effective supplement therapy for burn wound healing.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) fermentation liquid protects against alcoholic liver disease linked to regulation of liver metabolome and the abundance of gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) refers to liver damage caused by long-term heavy drinking, which causes oxidative stress and changes in gut microbiota. In this paper, we investigated the hepatoprotective effect of sea buckthorn fermentation liquid on ALD in mice and the interaction between ALD and gut microbiota using animal experiments and gut microbiota measurements. RESULTS: We found that the contents of total flavonoids, total triterpenes and related short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in sea buckthorn fermentation liquid (SFL) were significantly greater. Liver index, kidney index, spleen index, serum indexes of liver injury - alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and spartate aminotransferase (AST), inflammatory factors in liver tissues - tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), oxidation indexes - malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lipid metabolism indexes - high-density liptein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG), suggested that SFL significantly ameliorates liver injury caused by alcohol. By measuring gut microbiota in mice feces samples, we found that the high-dose group of SFL reversed the declining trend of the gut microbiota Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio caused by alcohol, reducing the number of gram-negative bacteroidetes. Patescibacteria was tightly connected with the indicators of ALD. At the genus level, high-dose SFL significantly downregulated Akkermansia, Turicibacter, Alistipes and Ruminiclostridium, and improved the abundance of beneficial bacteria in Lactobacillus. In addition, Alistipes and Ruminiclostridium was closely connected with the indicators of ALD. CONCLUSION: Sea buckthorn fermentation liquid protected against alcoholic liver disease and modulated the composition of gut microbiota. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Proteomic analysis reveals the molecular mechanism of Hippophae rhamnoides polysaccharide intervention in LPS-induced inflammation of IPEC-J2 cells in piglets.

Early weaning can cause intestinal disorders and dysfunction in piglets, and may induce intestinal diseases. Hippophae rhamnoides polysaccharide (HRP) has anti-inflammatory and immune promotion function. However, few studies have explored the change of differentially protein expression by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced porcine intestinal epithelial cell (IPEC-J2) after HRP pre-treatment. In this study, proteomic analysis was used to explore the essential proteins and immune-related pathways that can be regulated by LPS-induced IPEC-J2 cells after HRP pre-treatment. The results indicate that by searching the Sus scrofa database, a total of 18,768 proteins was identified. Among recognized proteins, there are 2052 (1720 up-regulated and 332 down-regulated), 358 (262 up-regulated and 96 down-regulated) and1532 (314 up-regulated and 1218 down-regulated) proteins expressed differently in C vs. L, C vs. H6-L and L vs. H6-L, respectively. The Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) analysis divided the identified proteins into 23 categories. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that cellular process, cell, cell part, organelle and binding were the most enriched pathways for differentially expressed proteins. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the top 20 pathways in the L-vs-H6-L group related to immunity were the Tight junction, MAPK signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, rap1 signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway and Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis. Moreover, we also found 42 key proteins related to these immune pathways in this study. Additionally, western blotting analyses confirmed that LPS reduced the levels of claudin2 (CLDN2), insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and increased phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase 7 (MAPK7), phosphorylated transcription factor p65 (RELA), phosphorylated nuclear factor NF-kappa-B p105 subunit (NF-κB1) and phosphorylated nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells 2 (NF-κB2). Pre-treatment with HRP increased the levels of CLDN2, IGF2 and reduced the levels of the phosphorylated MAPK7, phosphorylated RELA, phosphorylated NF-κB1 and phosphorylated NF-κB2 in cells. These results also showed that HRP alleviated LPS-induced inflammation in IPEC-J2 cells by inhibiting the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and its related differentially expressed proteins.

Dynamics of changes in organic acids, sugars and phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of sea buckthorn and sea buckthorn-apple juices during malolactic fermentation.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) berries have high biological value as a rich source of phenolic compounds, fatty acids and vitamins A, C, E. Due to the high organic acid content and sour taste, the fruits are rarely used in juice production. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the metabolic activity of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. argentoratensis and Oenococcus oeni strains along with the dynamics of changes in organic acids, sugars, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity during 72-h fermentation of 100% sea buckthorn and mixed with apple (1:1) juices. The strongest malolactic conversion was in mixed juices (to 75.0%). The most efficient strains were L. plantarum DSM 10492, 20174 and 6872. L. plantarum strains caused an increase in flavonols and antioxidant activity of sea buckthorn-apple juices. The results can be used to select conditions and strains in industrial-scale fermentation, to produce novel sea buckthorn products and increase their consumption.

Protective effect of seabuckthorn berry juice against acrylamide-induced oxidative damage in rats.

Acrylamide (AA), classified as a probable carcinogen, can be neurotoxic, genotoxic, and can damage DNA. This study explored the ability of seabuckthorn berries juice (SBJ) to alleviate AA-induced toxic injury in rats. Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, AA group (40 mg/kg), AA + SBJ (40 mg/kg AA and 5 mL/kg SBJ), and AA + vitamin C (VC) group (positive control group, 40 mg/kg AA and 100 mg/kg VC). At the end of the experiment, rats in AA group showed a marked decrease in the rate of weight gain, hind extremity abduction, and ataxia. Obvious anomalies were seen in plasma biochemical parameters (P < 0.05), and different degrees of injury were observed upon histological examination of five tissues (hippocampus, cerebellum, liver, small intestine, and kidney). Compared to the control group, levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione were significantly decreased, while malondialdehyde was elevated (P < 0.05). SBJ treatment reduced the abnormal of behavior, hematological index, antioxidant enzyme, and tissue damage caused by AA in rats. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Seabuckthorn berries are wild berries rich in vitamin C and polyphenols, which have good antioxidant properties. In this experiment, SBJ has a significant alleviating effect on AA-induced oxidative damage in rats. Therefore, we speculate that SBJ may relieve the oxidative damage caused by diet or other forms of AA exposure in the general population. At the same time, this experiment also provides new ideas for alleviating AA-induced in vivo toxicity.

A Comparative Study on Polyphenolic Composition of Berries from the Tibetan Plateau by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS System.

Five traditional medicinal food from the Tibetan plateau including Nitraria tangutorum Bobrov (NT), Hippophae rhamnoides L. (HR), Lycium ruthenicum Murray (LR), Lycium barbarum L. (LB) and Rubus corchorifolius L.f. (RC) are rich in phenolic compounds. However, the detailed studies about the phenolic compounds remain scarce. Therefore, we established a rapid method for the simultaneous identification and quantification of the phenolic compounds from berries via Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadruple-Orbitrap MS system (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS). This method was verified from many aspects including detection limit, quantification limit, precision, repeatability, stability, average recovery rate and recovery range, and then was used to analyze the phenolic compounds in these five species of berries. Finally, a total of 21 phenolic compounds were directly identified by comparing the retention time and exact mass, of which 14 compounds were identified by us for the first time in berries from the Tibetan plateau, including one flavonoid aglycone (myricetin), 11 phenolic acids (gallic acid, protocatechuate, chlorogenic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, 2-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid and ellagic acid), one flavanol (catechin) and one dihydrochalcone flavonoid (phloretin). Quantitative results showed that rutin, myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol were the main flavonoids. Moreover, a variety of phenolic acid compounds were also detected in most of the berries from the Tibetan plateau. Among these compounds, the contents of protocatechuate and chlorogenic acid were high, and high levels of catechin and phloretin were also detected in these plateau berries.

Diversity in sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) accessions with different origins based on morphological characteristics, oil traits, and microsatellite markers.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is an ecologically and economically important species. Here, we assessed the diversity of 78 accessions cultivated in northern China using 8 agronomic characteristics, oil traits (including oil content and fatty acid composition) in seeds and fruit pulp, and SSR markers at 23 loci. The 78 accessions included 52 from ssp. mongolica, 6 from ssp. sinensis, and 20 hybrids. To assess the phenotypic diversity of these accessions, 8 agronomic fruit traits were recorded and analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). The first two PCs accounted for approximately 78% of the variation among accessions. The oil contents were higher in pulp (3.46-38.56%) than in seeds (3.88-8.82%), especially in ssp. mongolica accessions. The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio was slightly lower in the seed oil of hybrids (76.06%) than that of in ssp. mongolica (77.66%) and higher than that of in ssp. sinensis (72.22%). The monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) ratio in the pulp oil of ssp. sinensis (57.00%) was highest, and that in ssp. mongolica (51.00%) was equal to the ratio in the hybrids (51.20%). Using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), we examined the correlation between agronomic traits and oil characteristics in pulp and seeds. Oil traits in pulp from different origins were correlated with morphological groupings (r = 0.8725, p = 0.0000). To assess the genotypic diversity, 23 SSR markers (including 17 loci previously reported) were used among the 78 accessions with 59 polymorphic amplified fragments obtained and an average PIC value of 0.2845. All accessions were classified into two groups based on the UPGMA method. The accessions of ssp. sinensis and ssp. mongolica were genetically distant. The hybrid accessions were close to ssp. mongolica accessions. The 8 agronomic traits, oil characteristics in seed and pulp oils, and 23 SSR markers successfully distinguished the 78 accessions. These results will be valuable for cultivar identification and genetic diversity analysis in cultivated sea buckthorn.

Untargeted metabolic fingerprinting reveals impact of growth stage and location on composition of sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) leaves.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) is increasingly cultivated to produce raw materials for food and nutraceuticals. There is little knowledge on composition of sea buckthorn leaves (SBLs) and the key factors influencing the composition. This research aims to unravel the metabolic profile of SBLs and the effects of cultivar, location and stage of growth, and climatic conditions on the metabolic profile of SBLs. Leaves of two sea buckthorn cultivars grown in the south and north of Finland during two consecutive growth seasons were studied using untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics. The highest variance in the metabolic profile was linked to the growth stage, wherein leaves from the first 7 weeks of harvest were characterized with higher abundance of polyphenols, while relatively higher abundance of carbohydrates and sugars was observed in the later weeks. The growth location attributed for the second highest variation, wherein the north-south comparison identified fatty acids and sugars as discriminatory metabolites, and the potential association of metabolome to natural abiotic stressors was revealed. An inverse correlation between carbohydrate/sugar content as well as fatty acids of higher carbon chain length with the temperature variables was evident. The supervised chemometric models with high sensitivity and specificity classified and predicted the samples based on growth stage and location, and cultivar. Nontargeted NMR-metabolomics revealed the metabolic profile of SBLs and their variation associated with various biotic and abiotic factors. Cultivar and growth stage are key factors to consider when harvesting SBLs for use in food and nutraceuticals. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Globally, sea buckthorn cultivation has been rapidly increasing due to the known health-promoting benefits of the berries and leaves of the plant. The current research obtained new comprehensive information on the compositional profile of sea buckthorn leaves as well as the impact of major contributory factors, such as cultivars, the advancement of growth stage, geographical location, and weather parameters. The findings of this research provide new knowledge and guidance for plant breeding, cultivation and commercial utilization of sea buckthorn leaves as raw materials for food, feed, and nutraceuticals.

UPLC-PDA-Q/TOF-MS profiling of phenolic and carotenoid compounds and their influence on anticholinergic potential for AChE and BuChE inhibition and on-line antioxidant activity of selected Hippophaë rhamnoides L. cultivars.

This study aimed to identify by UPLC-PDA-Q/TOF-MS and quantify by UPLC-PDA phenolic compounds (26 flavonols and 2 phenolic acids) and carotenoids (16) from berries of different cultivars of Hippophaë rhamnoides and determine correlations between these variables and in vitro anticholinergic and on-line antioxidant potential. Isorhamnetin derivatives presented over 65% of total flavonols, but quercetin and kaempferol derivatives were also determined. Carotenes accounted for 19 to 47%, xanthophylls 16 to 81% of total carotenoids. Pearson's correlations between AChE and BuChE inhibition and phenolic acid content were low (r = 0.388 and 0.355), moderate for carotenoids (0.504 and 0.437) and high for flavonols (0.851 and 0.614). The PCA biplot showed the highest correlation between anticholinergic activity and all-trans-ß-cryptoxanthin, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-(2-rhamnosyl)glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-hexoside-7-O-rhamnoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-(6-rhamnosyl)hexoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside, and isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside concentrations. The results obtained can be used to identify sea buckthorn cultivars, develop crops and production, and design functional products rich in flavonols and carotenoids with anticholinergic properties.

Sea buckthorn seed oil reduces blood cholesterol and modulates gut microbiota.

Sea buckthorn seed oil (SBSO) has been used as a functional food in the prevention of heart diseases. The present study investigates the effects of SBSO on blood cholesterol and the gut microbiota in hypercholesterolemia hamsters. Four groups of hamsters (n = 8 each) were given one of four diets, namely a non-cholesterol control diet (NCD), a high-cholesterol control diet (HCD) containing 0.1% cholesterol, and an HCD diet with sea buckthorn seed oil replacing 50% lard (SL) or replacing 100% lard (SH). Feeding SL and SH diets could reduce blood total cholesterol by 20-22%. This was accompanied by the down-regulation of the gene expression of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 2 (ACAT2), microsomal triacylglycerol transport protein (MTP), and ATP-binding cassette transporter8 (ABCG8). SBSO supplementation also increased the production of intestinal short-chain fatty acids and fecal outputs of neutral sterols. Metagenomic analysis demonstrated that feeding SL and SH diets could favorably modulate the relative abundance of Bacteroidales_S24-7_group, Ruminococcaceae, and Eubacteriaceae. It was therefore concluded that SBSO was effective in reducing blood cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic hamsters via increasing intestinal cholesterol excretion and promoting the growth of SCFA-producing bacteria.

RNA-seq data reveals a coordinated regulation mechanism of multigenes involved in the high accumulation of palmitoleic acid and oil in sea buckthorn berry pulp.

BACKGROUND: Sea buckthorn is a woody oil crop in which palmitoleic acid (C16:1n7, an omega-7 fatty acid (FA)) contributes approximately 40% of the total FA content in berry pulp (non-seed tissue). However, the molecular mechanisms contributing to the high accumulation of C16:1n7 in developing sea buckthorn berry pulp (SBP) remain poorly understood. RESULTS: We identified 1737 unigenes associated with lipid metabolism through RNA-sequencing analysis of the four developmental stages of berry pulp in two sea buckthorn lines, 'Za56' and 'TF2-36'; 139 differentially expressed genes were detected between the different berry pulp developmental stages in the two lines. Analyses of the FA composition showed that the C16:1n7 contents were significantly higher in line 'Za56' than in line 'TF2-36' in the mid-late developmental stages of SBP. Additionally, qRT-PCR analyses of 15 genes involved in FA and triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis in both lines revealed that delta9-ACP-desaturase (ACP-Δ9D) competed with 3-ketoacyl-ACP-synthase II (KASII) for the substrate C16:0-ACP and that ACP-Δ9D and delta9-CoA-desaturase (CoA-Δ9D) gene expression positively correlated with C16:1n7 content; KASII and fatty acid elongation 1 (FAE1) gene expression positively correlated with C18:0 content in developing SBP. Specifically, the abundance of ACP-Δ9D and CoA-Δ9D transcripts in line 'Za56', which had a higher C16:1n7 content than line 'TF2-36', suggests that these two genes play an important role in C16:1n7 biosynthesis. Furthermore, the high expressions of the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD1) gene and the WRINKLED1 (WRI1) transcription factor contributed to increased biosynthesis of TAG precursor and FAs, respectively, in the early developmental stages of SBP, and the high expression of the diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) gene increased TAG assembly in the later developmental stages of SBP. Overall, we concluded that increased ACP-Δ9D and CoA-Δ9D levels coupled with decreased KASII and FAE1 activity is a critical event for high C16:1n7 accumulation and that the coordinated high expression of WRI1, GPD1, and DGAT1 genes resulted in high oil accumulation in SBP. CONCLUSION: Our results provide a scientific basis for understanding the mechanism of high C16:1n7 accumulation in berry pulp (non-seed tissue) and are valuable to the genetic breeding programme for achieving a high quality and yield of SBP oil.

Removal of phthalic acid esters from sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) pulp oil by steam distillation and molecular distillation.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) pulp oils (SPOs) are rich in a variety of beneficial bioactive ingredients. Nevertheless, SPOs would be exposed to plastic equipment during processing, resulted in increasing phthalates contents and edible risk, as well as affecting oil quality. For these reasons, the effects of two stages steam distillation (SD2) and two stages molecular distillation (MD2) on phthalic acid esters (PAEs) content were investigated and compared in the present work. Compared with SD2, MD2 showed higher removal rates of seven selected PAEs from the SPO. Even if the initial concentration of DBP and DEHP in R-SPO were 1.626 and 10.933 mg/kg respectively, the concentration of DBP and DINP could be reduced below the limit set by China government after treated with MD2. Besides that, there was no trans-fatty acids generated in SPO during the distillation process.

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of tea-type infusions processed from sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) leaves.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides, SB) leaves contain wide-ranging bioactive compounds. Processing of the leaves into beverages/food presents great potential for supporting human health. The research aimed to investigate the impact of different processing methods on phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of tea-type infusions prepared from SB leaves. Leaves of two SB cultivars, 'Terhi' and 'Tytti', were processed with different methods commonly used for tea processing. Phenolic compounds in the infusions were analyzed with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode-Array Detection and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry. Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside-7-O-rhamnoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-hexoside-7-O-rhamnoside were the three major flavonol glycosides, stachyurin and casuarinin were the most abundant ellagitannins. The infusions of 'Tytti' contained more total phenolics than those of 'Terhi' (p < 0.05). High temperature processing resulted in higher content of total phenolics and ellagitannins in the infusions compared with low temperatures (p < 0.05). Thermal processing decreased the antioxidant activities of the infusions.

Influence of polyphenol rich seabuckthorn berries juice on release of polyphenols and colonic microbiota on exposure to simulated human digestion model.

The present study investigated the effect of polyphenol rich Sea buckthorn berries juice (SBJ) on colonic microbial composition and diversity using in vitro simulated gut model. The release of polyphenols, their antioxidant activity and impact on microbial diversity was evaluated under long term fermentation for 21 days. The treatment of colonic reactors with basal feed supplemented with SBJ resulted in an increase in population and diversity of beneficial bacteria as revealed by viable cell count and PCR-DGGE. A higher release of phenolics was observed, which resulted in higher antioxidant activity in the colonic reactors throughout the treatment period (p < 0.05). Higher content of resveratrol, rutin and chlorogenic acid were observed in ascendens colon whereas quercetin, ferulic and caeffic acid level were higher in descendens colon due to biotransformation of polyphenols in the later part of colon. The Principal Component Analysis also indicated the stimulatory effect of SBJ on the beneficial microbial population of Lactobacilli, Bacteroides/Prevotella and Bifidobacteria in all the three reactors. It also confirmed higher release of polyphenolic compounds and associated antioxidant activities in descendens colon.

Colonic fermentation of polyphenolics from Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) berries: Assessment of effects on microbial diversity by Principal Component Analysis.

The present study investigates the stability of polyphenolic in Sea buckthorn berries juice (SBJ) during different phases of digestion and its effect on colonic microbial diversity. At each stage, the Total polyphenolic content (TPC), Total antioxidant activity (TAA) and polyphenolic profile was determined. A 1.64 and 2.20 folds increase in TPC with 4.88 and 9.61 folds increase in TAA were observed during gastric and small intestine digestion (p<0.05) with the release of quercetin from food matrix. The digestion resulted in deformation of intact crystalline structure as indicated by scanning electron micrographs. The colonic fermentation resulted in an increase in quercetin, caffeic acid with decrease in rutin and chlorogenic acid after 36h of fermentation (p<0.05). The Shannon diversity index (H) of beneficial groups including Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Bacteroides/Prevotella and Bifidobacteria was increased by 35%, 71% and 17%, respectively (p<0.05). The PCA analysis indicated that the presence and digestion of polyphenolics promote the proliferation of Bacteroides/Prevotella group as well as Lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacteria. The results suggest that SBJ is good source of prebiotic substrate in terms of the proliferation of beneficial gut microbiota.