THE INTAKE OF MINERALS IN THE DIET BROUGHT BY THE CONSUMPTION OF SEA BUCKTHORN (HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES L.) BERRIES AND JUICE

Abstract

The main goal of this study is to quantify the intake of minerals in the diet brought by the consumption of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) in different forms: berries and juice. The relevance of the subject approached in this paper lies in the importance of the sea buckthorn as a plant with immense medicinal and therapeutic potential. The analyzed sea buckthorn fruits were collected in Botoșani County, Romania and the sea buckthorn juice was obtained trough the cold pressing of the sea buckthorn berries, followed by pasteurization. The analysis of samples was done using atomic emission in plasma coupled with mass spectrometry technique with ICP-MS Agilent Technologies 7500 Series. Five of the essential minerals – calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, sodium, and four of the trace elements - chromium, cobalt, selenium, vanadium were determined, all of them necessary for the properly functioning of the human organism. Considering the presence of all these valuable essential minerals and oligoelements in sea buckthorn berries and juice, and from the scientific knowledge of their importance, it can be stated that sea buckthorn should be more and more used as one of the main nutritional sources in the diet.