Sea buckthorn: A potential dietary supplement with multifaceted therapeutic activities

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is a plant with various nutritional and medicinal properties. It contains vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols, fatty acids, and phytosterols, which have antioxidant, anticancer, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, dermatological, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. Sea buckthorn can be used as a functional food or a dietary supplement for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. This review summarizes the phytochemistry, health benefits, and food applications of sea buckthorn, and highlights the potential and challenges for its further development and utilization. Sea buckthorn not only has greatmedicinal and therapeutic potential, but also is a promising economic plant. The potential of seabuckthorn in the human food industry has attracted the research interest of researchers and pro- ducers. The present review mainly summarizes the phytochemistry, nutrients, health benefits, andfood applications of sea buckthorn. Overall, sea buckthorn is a dietary source of bioactive ingredi- ents with the potential to be developed into functional foods or dietary supplements for the pre- vention and treatment of certain chronic diseases, which deserves further research.