Tocopherols and Tocotrienols in Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) Berries during Ripening STAFFAN C. ANDERSSON,* ,† KIMMO RUMPUNEN, ‡ EVA JOHANSSON, § AND MARIE E. OLSSON † Horticulture, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 103, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden, Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Fja ¨lkestadsva ¨gen 459, SE-291 94 Kristianstad, Sweden, and Agriculture-Farming Systems, Technology and Product Quality, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 104, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden Sea buckthorn berries (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) are used in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. They are of particular interest for their high content of healthy phytochemicals, including vitamin E-related compounds (tocopherols and tocotrienols). This study investigated the content of tocopherols and tocotrienols during ripening in berries from four cultivars of sea buckthorn over a three-year period. The results showed large variations in tocopherols and tocotrienols depending on harvest date, cultivar, and year. Levels of R-tocopherol were higher early in the ripening period, while at later dates, δ-tocopherol levels increased. Great differences in amounts and composition of tocopherols and tocotrienols were observed between cultivars. Tocopherol levels were positively correlated with daily temperature, but this trend varied between years. Variations in tocopherols and tocotrienol levels in sea buckthorn berries due to cultivar, year, and ripening stage should therefore be considered in the production of nutritional products. KEYWORDS: Antioxidant; berries; cultivar; fruit; harvest; Hippophae rhamnoides; ripening; sea buckthorn; sun irradiation; temperature; tocopherols; tocotrienols; yearly variation INTRODUCTION Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is a plant native to the temperate areas of Europe and Asia that is now being cultivated in other parts of the world. Sea buckthorn berries when ripe are yellow-orange-red in color depending on the cultivar and normally have a shiny appearance. The round-oblong berries develop on shoots from the previous year and ripen uniformly. The berries of different cultivars usually have a weight within the range 70-80 g/100 berries (1). The berries grow on 1-2 mm long stems and lack an abscission layer. The aroma is characterized by several aliphatic esters (2), and sea buckthorn juice has been characterized and compared with aromas such as strawberry, peach, mango, apricot, papaya, and citrus. However, sourness is the dominant taste (3, 4). Sea buckthorn berries are used raw or processed in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products (5), and are considered to possess health-related potential (6). The berries are rich in different phytochemicals such as ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, tocopherols, and healthy fatty acids (5, 7–11), and have a comparatively strong antioxidant activity (12). Sea buckthorn berry products have been used for the treatment of different conditions and diseases such as burns, external wounds and skin inflammations, and gastric ulcers (5, 13). It has also been reported that sea buckthorn berries reduce plasma cho- lesterol levels and inhibit platelet aggregation (8, 14). Previous studies of sea buckthorn berries reported differences in tocopherol and tocotrienol composition (9, 15–17), which may be due to different causes, e.g., methods of extraction and analysis used, berry parts analyzed, genetic variation, climate, growing conditions, yearly variations, degree of ripening when harvested, storage conditions, and harvesting method. A few one-year studies on ripening in sea buckthorn berries and their composition of tocopherols and tocotrienols have been performed. For example, Zadernowski et al. studied tocopherol composition of berry oil from one cultivar during ripening and observed the highest levels of R- and δ-tocopherol at change in color and two to three months later (17). In soft parts from pooled samples of different wild bushes of H. rhamnoides ssp. sinensis grown in two different locations in China, maximum levels of total tocopherols and tocotrienols were found in ripe berries in early to mid-September and in desiccated berries in mid-October to late November (study period late August-late November) (18). To our knowledge, no previous studies comparing tocopherols and tocotrienols during ripening in various cultivars of sea buckthorn berries in consecutive years have been performed. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Staffan.Andersson@ltj.slu.se. † Horticulture. ‡ Plant Breeding and Biotechnology. § Agriculture-Farming Systems. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2008, 56, 6701–6706 6701 10.1021/jf800734v CCC: $40.75  2008 American Chemical Society Published on Web 07/22/2008