The effect of the harvest time on oil-based bioactive compounds in sea buckthorn berries ( Hippophae rhamnoides L. ssp. sinensis) was investigated. Sea buckthorn berries were collected at early maturity (September), maturity (November), and postmaturity (January) during the 2003-2004 harvest year. Whole berries were analyzed for physical characteristics, and fruit and seed fractions were analyzed for bioactive content. November-harvested berries yielded the highest values for berry sizes, CIELab factor a*, and total carotenoid content in the fruit fraction ( p < 0.05). September yielded significantly higher ( p < 0.05) levels of major compounds, alpha-tocopherol and beta-sitosterol, in the fruit fraction. Seed characteristics and bioactive compounds did not vary significantly with respect to the harvest time ( p > 0.05). These results have identified the most suitable level of maturity for the optimization of certain compounds and the losses that may occur with winter harvest, commonly practiced in cold climates.
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George et al. (2007) studied this question.
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