An attractive shrub bearing fingers of golden fruits, Seabuckthorn has been grown in Canada primarily for its esthetic purposes and ability to block wind and help conserve soil. After almost 30 years of research and development at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), this shrub is looking to come out of the field and into the supermarket.
Bill Schroeder, Researcher at AAFC’s Agroforestry Development Centre in Indian Head, Saskatchewan is the recognized North American expert on this budding bush and the first scientist to initiate a comprehensive seabuckthorn research program. The Agroforestry Development Centre has the only North American bred cultivars available, which has been instrumental in the development of the Canadian seabuckthorn industry.
Special to the seabuckthorn is the suite of fatty acids found in fruit and seed oils, at concentrations as high as 35 per cent. This is one of the few plants to provide balanced concentrations of essential fatty acids and oils which are good for human health.
The peel of the stem and berries contains 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), which is rare amongst plants. Seabuckthorn holds some of the highest antioxidant activity among medicinal plants.
Canada, and particularly the prairies, is seen to have enormous potential for a seabuckthorn industry because of processing industry interest, the plant’s ability to thrive in prairie growing conditions, the North American demand for the fruit that exceeds the supply, and the expanding health and nutrition market.
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