Fatty acid composition of lipids in sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) berries of different origins

The oil content and fatty acid composition of berries from two subspecies o f sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) were investigated. The berries of subsp. rhamnoides contained a higher proportion of oil in seeds (11.3% vs 7.3%, p < 0.01), berries (3.5% vs 2.1%, p < 0.001), and seedless parts (2.8 % vs 1.7%, p < 0.01) than the berries of subsp. sinensis. Linoleic (18:2n-6 ) and alpha -linolenic acids (18: 3n-3) comprised about 70% of seed oil fat ty acids. Palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7), practically absent in the seed oil, c omprised 12.1-39.0% of oil in pulp/peel and 8.9-31.0% of that in the whole berries. More linoleic acid (40.9% vs 39.1%) and less alpha -linolenic acid (26.6% vs 30.6%) was found in the seed oil of subsp, sinensis than in the seed oil of subsp. rhamnoides (p < 0.05). The proportion of palmitoleic aci d was higher in the oil of berries of subsp. rhamnoides than the berries of subsp. sinensis (26.0% vs 21.5%, 0.05 < p < 0.1), but was vice versa with alpha -linolenic acid (8.8% vs 11.2%, 0.05 < p < 0.1). The proportions of a lpha -linolenic acid correlated inversely with oleic and linoleic acids in the seed oil. In the oil of whole berries, the proportion of palmitoleic ac id correlated negatively with the proportions of linoleic and alpha -linole nic acids.