Effects of Harvesting Time on Triacylglycerols and Glycerophospholipids of Sea Buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) Berries of Different Origins

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) berries of four cultivars of subsp.rhamnoides and two origins of wild subsp. sinensis were collected and analyzed in four consecutive years. The annual variations in fatty acid composition of seeds and berries within the origins were small. None of the four years showed any significant effect on either the absolute contents or the fatty acid profiles of triacylglycerols in seeds and whole berries, whereas significant differences were found among the different origins. From the end of August to the end of November, 1998, the contents of triacylglycerols and glycerophospholipids in berries of the two subsp. sinensis origins reached a maximum around the end of September. During this harvesting period, the fatty acid composition in seeds was constant, whereas that in the whole berries varied to a greater extent. The results suggested that compared with harvesting years, the time of the berry picking within a single year and the origins in question had more pronounced effects on the content and composition of triacylglycerols in berries of sea buckthorn. For the two origins (Wenshui and Xixian) of subsp. sinensis, the end of September seems to be the best harvesting time for a high yield of triacylglycerols and glycerophospholipids from the whole berries.