| Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhammonides) is a hardy, deciduous shrub bearing yellow to orange berries. This plant has been used for centuries in the traditional medicinal system of Asia and Europe mainly for its nutritional and medicinal value.
It possesses an exclusive composition of vitamins, nutrients and essential fatty acids usually found only separately in different plants and sources.
Seabuckthorn grows widely in Europe, central Asia and temperate regions of South Asia , India and China, ranging in altitude of a minimum of 60 m asl to a maximum of 5200 m asl .
The Spiti valley has a fairly large concentration of Seabuckthorn, particularly along the river bed covering an area of more than 200 hectares, as per official figures. The 3 varieties of Seabuckthorn found in Spiti are rich in carotenoids, xanthophylls, phenolics and flavonoids and have a higher content of essential oils.
|
