THE UTILIZATION OF THE SEA BUCKTHORN IN ROMANIA,
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
dr. ing. PROOROCU ANGEL
Sea buckthorn,
Euro-Asiatic specie, was classified in 1753 in “Speciae Plantarum” by Karl von
Linné at the position 1023. The great botanist seems to be its godfather, Hippophae rhamnoides has two
significations. Now, because it has a positive signification is accepted the
etymology from Greek words: horse and shine. Romanian specialists demonstrate
the influence of sea buckthorn which induces health for all animals,
externalized in the aspect of their skin. The second signification is also from
Greek, horse and poison, this is reflected in occidental Europe tradition. Romanian specialists’ conception at the
beginning of the XX century was the same; it may be caudated by the plant’s
negative effect. Other opinions are relative to the effect in elimination of
intestinal worms. Romanian catina
seems to become from Latin “catena”, the image from Romans invaders was a chain around rivers, the colour of leafs
suggested them the silver. Its natural area was one of the largest of the
world, from Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, (fig. 1). Now it is also a subject
of research programs in Northern and South America. If we consider Jawaharlal
Nehru’s idea, that actual world situation is the result of the European
domination in ancient social economical and military development; maybe sea
buckthorn could have had another position in the history of plant utilisation.
Fig. nr. 1 Sea buckthorn area
from Illustrierte Flora von Mittel - Europa von Dr. Gustav Hegi Munchen J.F.
Lehmanns Verlag 1926
In Romania,
the modern scientific statute of agriculture started in the inter-war period
when, in 1938-1943, Constantin Filipescu coordinated a large staff and
published “The Great Agricultural Romanian Encyclopedia”. "Any country
with pretensions of civilization must have in the cultural treasure
agricultural encyclopedia and dictionaries needed by anyone who is concerned by
this millenary activity"- said the author in the introduction. In the
first volume of this work sea buckthorn was ample described at page 710: “cătina albă bot. Hippophae
rhamnoides L. Fr. Saule epineux, germ. Sanddorn,
engl. Sea buckthorn (sea, buck, thorn) bush usually 2-5 m. it may became a
little tree of 5-6 m. from slippery grounds of river’s gravels. One year stems
has silver scaly brush and ferruginous rust colored down, early they get
thorns, old steams has a great number of short steams transformed in thorns.
The ovoid buds are covered by a small number of golden yellow scales with
silver brush. Leafs are linear lancelet or narrow oblongs 4-5 (6) cm. long and
5-6 (10) mm. breadth, short petiolated, petiole of 1-3 mm., entered edge;
superior face at first has silver scales, at maturity dark green, glabrous and
only the long of principal nervure with down, inferior face is silver with
scaly silver thread to golden yellow which at friction are taken on the
fingers. Dioeciously flowers are little,
less apparent, greenish, situated on annual stems on which it appear
simultaneous with leafs by 2-3 at the base of inferior leafs which are hiding
integrally. Male flowers sessile with yellow-green perigonium on intern face
have silver scaly thread in tubular form, evidently separate at the extremity
in two lobs on square disk. Female flowers in raceme specula form, with a
perigonium evidently separate at the extremity in two lobs, covered in exterior
with scaly thread; unicarpelar pistil, one only box, with one ovule. Blossoms
from April to May. Fruit is an achene covered in exterior with an induzion,
seems that in the inferior part persists the perigonium which became fleshy.
Fruit is ovoid like a pea bean brown-orange to golden yellow, the fleshy part
has acidulous taste, contains a poisonous principia, witch don’t hinder birds to devour them after the
snow fall. The pip,
achene with solid brown shining cover, usually has one seed. The trunk may be
strong developed 4-6m. and at soil level it may be 10-15 cm. in diameter with
many ramifications has lateral direction, sinuously, covered at the beginning
with brown smooth bark, in time it has a rhitydome dark brown scaly profoundly
cracked. The hardwood yellow-brown, became by drying weighty, solid, may be
polish, don’t resists in air, the ashes are rich in potassium. The
striking root is profound, because the pivoted part penetrate depth the soil
and superficial by lateral roots parallels with the surface, from lateral roots
in sands there are starting many suckers. In roots there are tuberosities in
which leaves in symbiosis an Actinomicete capable to assimilate
atmospherically nitrogen. Is spread on marine dunes, alluvional sands along
rivers and around lakes on stonily versants and crumbling bank, coasts and
cliffs, detritus degraded pasture lands, etc. Its principal area is in Central
Asia from Caucasian territory to North of Persia and Ural, to the East of Asia.
In Europe it is along of Scandinavian coasts, in Baltic Countries to North Sea,
South of England to the south of Europe vegetating on a narrow band on
Mediterranean littoral in interior on vales in mountains or hills in North of
Spain, South of France, North and Center of Italy, Yugoslavia, Down Austria,
Hungary, South of Romania and Bulgaria. In our country Hippophae is in hills
territories, Meridional and Eastern Carpathians valleys of versants from
Moldavia and in Muntenia brings along valleys to field to the Danube. An
insular center of sea buckthorn is in Danube Delta on Black Sea littoral in the place called
Cardon at north of Sulina (5 km.). the optimum of its area is in under
Carpathian zone of aflorisment of salifer, age Mediterranean inferior
aquitanian in Ialomita valley, Laculete, Prahova valley and its affluent
Campina, Comarnic, Telega, Slanic, Teleajan valley, Homoraciu, Buzau valley,
Cislau, Nehoiasi, Ramnicu Sarat valley, valleys from Vrancea Country etc. and
it continues in all basins to Bucovina. Utility in forestry for the fixing of
dunes or moving grounds supports more salts in soil Na Cl, it may be the
national essence for the restoration of Vrancea Country and other regions
deforested from salifer under Carpathians in which the installation of forest
on salt soils is difficult. Its ample ramification and numerous thorns
make it valorous for hedges. As bush it is very ornamental also with its
silver leafs and its numerous orange fruits and persists on branches after the
snow fall. It may be multiplied by seeds, slips, marcotage and suckers.”
Authors declared that the activity of elaboration of the encyclopedia was along
the after first war period. I proudly may affirm the experience of Romanian
specialists in the utilization of Hippophae rhamnoides in soil amelioration. In
2005 spring Romania has a great surface of flood. The economic phenomenon from
the end of XIX Century when forests were destroyed and sailed for the
construction of railways in Central Europe was the same in the legislative vide
after 1990 and the situation in Romania is dramatic because the amplitude of
destruction is incomparable. The mistake in the tackle of sea buckthorn is the
attempt to define all varieties as one kind of assortment. It has a great
variability and adaptability. Romanian researchers had demonstrated that the
specie has the capacity to accumulate in it’s tissue a great level from some
radioactive elements, characteristically for the soil and subsoil in its
habitat zone. In soil and subsoil there are slowly transformations of
radioactive elements, with variable times of halve which give to the crust a
certain natural radioactivity. Alfa radioactivity results from the
transformation of radium in radon, the beta radioactivity is given in special
by the isotopic form of potassium being in soil near K40 ions. Romanian
measurements of fruits in regions which are known with the particularity of
radioactivity, established that there were 34-37 less alfa global concentration
like the maxim admitted limit in potable water and 2-3 more beta radiations.
This illustrated the capacity of fruits to indicate the presence of natural
radioactivity in soil, there are storing of beta radiation from absorbed
radioactive elements on soil particles or dissolved in soil solution. There are
other species like Solanum nigrum, Romanian zarna,
Veratrum album stregoaie which has
toxic components influenced by the soil composition. These explain many contradictions about the benefice or lethal effect of
fruit utilisation. The authors of the Romanian Encyclopaedia considered it like
not recommended in feeding, their occidental formation and sources are
explaining this opinion. Conclusion is that the variability of this specie is
the motive of many contradictions about the concentration of components and the
large utilisation of it. I think that International
Sea buckthorn Association must be the promoter of a scientific map-drawing of
varieties on the global areas first step for research in the various domains of
utilisation. The regional people’s millenary experience in conditions
of maintaining of environmental parameters must be an important yielding point
in research activity. Hippophae rhamnoides L. has an opportunity to become
the solution of the modern environment and feed global crises only in
conditions of a global conception in research, integration of the production,
processing, economic management and marketing.
Romania has
many natural resources in all domains of agriculture but we now are isolated,
due to many causes, principals of them being corruption and the precarious
management. This makes now sea buckthorn a solution like in China for the
rehabilitation of soil, also a resource for the development of production of
derivates. In Danube Delta a research program on 1450 ha. and other surfaces
demonstrate the capacity of the plant to be utilized in soil erosion
protection. Actual situation needs thousand of environmental plantations,
possibilities of rehabilitation are certified.
Publicity, Advertising,
Scientific Research, Legislation
^
Sale market Positive Effects
^
Food industries for the Environment
Fitofarmaceutics
Animal Breading
Cosmetics
Landscape
Soil amelioration
^ Air purification
Fruit production Meliferous Hedges
Fruit-growing
Plantations, Anti-soil erosion and Landscape
Plantations
^ ^
Planting
and exploitation technologies
^
Planting Material
^
Technical
and Economical Data Base
Fig. 2. Schematic presentation of principal aspects
which are logically necessary for the scientifically implementation of sea
buckthorn utilisation in Romania.
Fig. 3. Aspects of sea buckthorn roots with Frankia
nitrogen fixing symbiosis nodule. Proorocu Angel 2004.
Sea buckthorn is called by the Romanian peasants
in Buzau county “berries of the Holy Virgin”. Romanian people used from hundred
of years the fruits for the treatment of anaemia, diarrhoea, rheumatism and
rash. From fruits they obtained many products in feeding: juice, vine, jam
(with cherry, apples and plums), butter etc., they used it as textile colorant.
In Romanian
“Medicinal and Aromatic Plants from A to Z” guide book, the two appreciate
specialists Ovidiu Bojor and Mircea Alexan recommend sea buckthorn as vitamin
complex ( C, B1, B2, PP) carotenes, folic acid, oil,
izoramnethol, fitosterol. Recommended in avitaminose Fructus Hippophae
in combination with Fructus Cynosbati (hip rose), Folium Urticae (stinging
nettle), gooseberry, Folium Menthae (mint), Folium Rubi idaei (raspberry) and
Folium Primulae (cowslip), infusion, cooling drinks, syrups, gout as
reach in vitamins and diuretic, pneumonia in combination with colt’s
foot, linden tree, hyssop, cowslip, savory, elder tree, rickets Fructus Cynosbati (hip rose), Fructus
Hippophae, Folium Primulae (cowslip), Folium Melissae (balm mint), adjuvant in pulmonary
tuberculosis in winter and spring for vitamins with Fructus Cynosbati (hip
rose), Folium Urticae (stinging nettle), Folium Primulae (cowslip), uremia
in combination with diabetes Folium Betulae (birch tree), Folium Myrtilli
(bilberry) and Herba galegae (goat’s rue), xerophthalmia in combination with Fructus Cynosbati (hip
rose), Folium Urticae (stinging nettle), Flores Tagetes (marigold) and Fructus
Myrtilli (bilberry).
PRODUCTS PRESENTATION:
Phials with 10 ml; 20 ml ; ±3%, 100ml; 500 ml;
±2% or capsule with 0,4 or 0,6 ml sea buckthorn fruit oil the active principia
extracted through an original proceeding being a natural food concentrate. Liposolubil
components of the sea buckthorn oil represent a polivitaminic complex with
regenerating action for the cellular metabolism. Active principia contained
are, in principal ß- carotenes, vitamins D, E, F, K, therefore all liposolubil
vitamins, also o series de polifenolic products strong anti-infectious. Also
contains lecithin in easy assimilability forms (calcium and magnesium salts),
unsaturated feet-acids like ß-linolic acid as precursor of a lot of organic
enzymes.
ACTION: general tonifiant, antianemic, vitaminizant; imunomodulator; synergic
action with interferon; contribution for the syntheses of proteins raw-material for interferon;
coronaries protector; antiaterosclerotic; slowing down the process of ageing by
consumption of undesirable free radicals; detoxifying the liver and assure the
trofic function for the hepatic cell;
anticancerigen by the great contain of ß-carotene; in extern administration
good for cicatrizing, dermoregenerator effect, anti-inflammatory, nutritive;
excellent protector against solar radiations or de other nature.
INDICATIONS: Intern use: Prophylactic: slowing down the process of ageing and
anticancerigen, tonic general in stress situations, imunomodulator.
Adjuvant: intern treatment of some
dermatological affections (psoriasis, LED cutanate forms), ORL affections with
component atrophic and inflammatory, cardio-vascular affections being a good
coronaries protector affections ale digestive system. Active in chronic hepatitis,
uro-genital affections, neurological psychical affections, antianemic,
excellent role in slowing down of some ocular affections (hemeralopia,
presbytism, keratomalacie, myopia, astigmatism, hipermetropy, glaucoma,
cataracts) being rich in ß - carotenes.
Extern use: local treatment of eczema, thermal and chemical burns, chilblains,
alergodermias, psoriasis, lent recovery wound. It is the only natural product
recognised for the activity of protection against solar radiations or other
nature.
Cosmetically use: antirid and nutritive
creams, gels and lotions of protection and maintenance for all kinds of skin.
S.C. CCPPM Plantavorel
S.A. Piatra Neamt, continue the traditions of Vorel pharmacists family which in
1880’s initiate Green Pharmacy, in 1942 produced 120 products. In 1948 it was
nationalised. In 1983 Plantavorel Laboratory initiates new research and
production in utilisation of Romanian “Green Gold’. Now there are sea buckthorn
homologated products “Cevisol”,
natural dietetic and food supplement extract of fruits. Tonic general, for
children, convalescents, intellectual and physical effort. “Vorisol granule” natural dietetic and
food supplement extract of fruit extracts of Hippophae rhamnoides and Rosa
species. Granules may be used also like tea, 2 spoons at 100 ml. water. There
is “Hebe radix” protection cream extracts of sea buckthorn, marigold and
blackwort, volatile oil of mint, excipients, conservants. Recommend in solar
and thermo burns, contact dermatitis, etc. Research programs recommend plants
from “Curvature Carpathians” as optimal for pharmaceutical products.
Ioan Lupe,
Romanian forestry specialist had modern initiative in sea bukthorn utilisation.
In the work „Pomicultura generală şi specială Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică
1982, authors Popescu M. and other pomologists presented the first tehnology
and presentation of sea buckthorn, now the research is focalised on
conservation, evaluation and development of genetic resources, establishment of
plantations with suitable varieties, identification of new valuable genotypes,
analyses of biochemical fruit characteristics, studies of physical and chemical
soil improvement, and studies of symbiotic association between the plant and
fungi and bacteria. Unfortunately this plant was
never abordate in a global conception in Romania; this made it a permanent a
theoretical resource.
The abordation
must be in two directions of implementation in romanian agricultural
sistem: horizontaly: plantations on large surfaces on degradated soils, erodated,
salins, etc.; verticaly: creation of a data base, of some productive centers,
biological material selected devize, sistems of plantation, tehnologyes, a
sistem of processing of the production, diversification, creating a large game
of utilisations and obtaining economical superiour results, competitive
products for export creation of an informational sistem and publicity for sea
buckthorn products, chainging mentalities and wrong treatments with artificial
products. ( fig. 4.)
CONCLUSIONS:
This plant is fixing lands which are most degraded
(has many suckers), assimilate atmospherically nitrogen directly by roots (has
an ameliorative effect to the soil), Frankia is the bacteria which is
responsible of this quality estimative it is considered a volume of 2 – 179 kg.
N / ha/year.
In modern pharmaceutics
it is also used in cosmetics, many treatments and for burned and irradiated
tissues. In the feeding of domestic animals were used some products, for the
aspect of the hair of dogs, cats, and horses, the quality of eggs and the
immunity.
Plants are used like decorative plants and hedge; their
green-white colour is in contrast with the orange of flowers and fruits.
Lupe Z. Ioan,
Grigorescu Emanoil, Brad Ion, Cireasa Victor, Manea Stefan are some of Romanian
specialists in forestry, horticulture, medicine, bio-chemistry with many
studies and applications of sea buckthorn as we can see in the summary attached bibliography .
In Romania Hippophae
rhamnoides L. was the object of many national research programs, now it was
abandoned. Now there are not serious
investitures and are not mobilized foreign institutions which may use modern
instruments for the obtaining all advantages of this plant.
Some institutions and industrial units continue
the tradition with good results, but I think that is not the level which is
possible in the actual potential of Romania. It must be a solution of the
rehabilitation of thousand of hectares of Romanian denuded grounds.
I am preparing a doctorate thesis: “Studies
about the importance of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) in the
environmental protection and human health economy”. I am presenting solutions
for the implementation of the plant but in Romania it is difficult to be
initiating a national programme in this domain at this moment when the national
interest is inexistent. My country is considered to be the place where many
vegetables have some conditions which made them most good like in other
regions, sea buckthorn is one of them and here it has a great variability. The Romanian biotypes
fruits contain a lot of vitamins, 2 x vitamin C like hip roses, carotene,
citric acid etc. The oil contains E vitamin which is revitalizing the human organism,
near vitamins P, B1, B2, A, K, F ( F vitamin defend cells of cancer and irradiation,
there are also 15 microelements Fe, Mn, B, Al, K, F, Ti etc. From fruits it is
possible to obtain many products in feeding: juice, vine, jam (with cherry,
apples and plums), butter etc. All products are very rich in vitamins.
Plants of Hippophae rhamnoides L. are valuable like
decorative plants; their green-white color is in contrast with the orange of
flowers and fruits, it is a melliferous plant, aspect important in its
polenisation.
Interesant is the EU-Project G5ST-02-71999, SEABUCK
Innovative products obtained from fruits of Sea buckthorn (Hippophae
rhamnoides). Milestones of Seabuck
project funded by the European Commission are:
- optimisation of the extraction, purification and
stabilisation tehnology for caroteno-lipoprotein complex from Sea buckthorn
fruits;
- detailed analysis of obtained caroteno-lipoprotein
complex on chemical composition, stability and activity;
- large scale realisation of the extraction and
purification tehnology for the caroteno-lipoprotein complex at one of the participating
tehnology companies and estimation of the production costs;
- development of three different cosmetic products
containing the Sea buckthorn caroteno-lipoprotein complex ready for
commercialisation
- sensory and dermatological trials of the developed
cosmetic products.
In my conception International Sea buckthorn
Association has an important role in the future development of Romanian
evolution, the natural potential of Romanian biotypes may be integrate in
research and production programs, international collaboration, creating a world
data base in research, commercial and technological domains. In Romania
must be initiate an environmental and food and health program, the logical
succession of problems was presented in fig.4, there are many problems, one of
them being the resistance and opposition of
artificial producers of food, juice, syrup, vitamins etc.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1.
Alexan
M., colab. - Flora medicinală a României vol. I şi II Editura Ceres 1992.
2.
Berca
M. - Ecologie generală şi protecţia mediului Editura Ceres 2000.
3.
Bojor
O., Alexan M.-Plantele medicinale şi aromatice de la A la Z Editura Recoop,
Bucureşti Ed. I –VI 1982 – 1999
4.
Brad
I., colab. – Cătina albă – o farmacie într-o plantă Ed. Tehnică 2002.
5.
Ciocârlan
Vasile – Flora ilustrată a României Editura Ceres 1988
6.
Cireaşă
V., Năstase M. - Cercetări privind comportarea arbustului fructifer Hippophae
rhamnoides în vederea introducerii acestuia în cultură Lucrări ştiinţifice
I.A.N.B. vol. II, Bucureşti, 1979
7.
Constantinescu
C. - Plantele medicinale din flora spontană, Recoop 1973
8.
Crăciun
T. - Genetica şi societatea Ed. Albatros
1983
9.
Duţă
V. - Medicina naturistă Editura Lumina Lex 2003
10.
Filipescu
C. - Marea Enciclopedie Agricolă vol. I Bucureşti 1937
11.
Grigorescu
E.- Contribuţii la studiul farmacogenetic şi fitochimic al speciei Hippophae
rhamnoides L. indigenă. Teză de doctorat, 1963
12.
Haralamb
A. - Cultura arbuştilor fructiferi Editura Agrosilvică 1969
13.
Hodişan
V. - Curs de botanică farmaceutică U.M.F. Cluj Napoca 1993
14.
Istudor
Viorica - Farmacognozie, fitochimie, fitoterapie Editura Medicală Bucureşti
2001
15.
Lupe
I. Z. - Perdele forestiere de protecţie şi cultivarea lor în câmpiile din
România Editura Academiei R.P.R. 1952
16.
Manea
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17.
Mihescu
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Negruiu
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Negulescu
E.G., colab. - Dendrologia Editura Agrosilvică 1965
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Pârvu
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România Universitatea de Ştiinţe
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26.
Proorocu
A. Importanţa cătinei albe (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) pentru protecţia mediului,
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27.
Rovenţa
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grădinilor Editura RECOOP Bucureşti 1975
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S. - Fruticultura alternativa con le
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www.seabuckthornology.blogspot.com
www.catinologie.blogspot.ro
www.termagroinfo.blogspot.ro
