Sea Buckthorn Oil

Sea buckthorn oil is pressed or CO2-extracted from the berries of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (Elaeagnaceae), a thorny, nitrogen-fixing shrub of cold arid uplands. India is a genuine origin rather than a re-export point: roughly 70% of the country's sea buckthorn stands are in Ladakh (Leh and Kargil), with further populations in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, where Hippophae salicifolia and H. tibetana also occur. The berry yields two commercially distinct oils that buyers must not treat as interchangeable. Fruit or pulp oil is expressed from the fleshy mesocarp and is one of the richest plant sources known of palmitoleic acid (C16:1 n-7, "omega-7"), typically 30–42% of total fatty acids, with a supercritical CO2 pulp grade specified at 30–35% palmitoleic and 22–33% palmitic. Seed oil, pressed from the small dark seeds, contains almost no palmitoleic acid; it is built instead on linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6) at roughly 33–36% and alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) at roughly 30–36%, giving an unusually balanced n-6 to n-3 ratio close to 1:1. Whole-berry oil sits between the two and its profile depends entirely on the pulp-to-seed ratio in the feedstock, so it should always be bought against a batch fatty acid profile rather than a nominal figure. The unsaponifiable fraction is where much of the commercial interest sits. A stabilised CO2 pulp extract carries 1–9% unsaponifiables comprising carotenoids, sterols, alkanols and tocopherols, of which 0.04–0.11% is carotenoid. Published values for pulp oils span 692–3420 mg/kg total carotenoids and 666–1788 mg/kg total tocols, with alpha-tocopherol accounting for around 70–80% of the vitamin E present; seed oil carries a markedly higher share of tocotrienols. These constituents give the oil its deep orange-to-red colour and contribute to its own oxidative stability, and they also mean the material is a strong natural colourant in clear or pale bases. Pulp oil is viscous and commonly shows slight turbidity at ambient temperature, which is normal for the grade rather than a defect; warming to about 40 °C and shaking before dispensing gives a homogeneous draw. Alpha-linolenic acid in the seed and whole-berry grades is a recognised essential omega-3 nutrient, and we describe composition and nutrient content only. Material is supplied as bulk oil for encapsulation and formulation, or as finished softgels to buyer specification. The bulk oil is plant-derived and therefore vegan and vegetarian, with no milk, egg, soy, fish, crustacean, gluten or tree nut content and no bovine, porcine or marine input at any stage. Buyers ordering finished softgels should note that conventional shells are bovine or fish gelatin: a vegan claim on the finished pack requires an HPMC or starch shell to be specified at order. Each consignment ships with a batch certificate of analysis covering fatty acid profile by GC, acid and peroxide values, carotenoid and tocopherol content, heavy metals, pesticide residues and microbiology, alongside allergen and origin declarations, a non-GMO statement and organic transaction certificates where the batch is certified. Because plant oils and extracts are exempt from REACH registration under Annex V entry 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, EU-bound shipments of the bulk oil carry no registration burden, though the buyer remains responsible for confirming food, supplement or cosmetic status in the destination market.