CHANGES IN TOCOPHEROLS AND CAROTENOIDS DURING RIPENING IN ROSE HIPS AND SEA BUCKTHORN BERRIES

Rose hips and sea buckthorn fruits contain high amounts of carotenoids, tocopherols and other antioxidants that are considered to exert beneficial health effects. Antioxidants may reduce the negative effects of free radicals and other reactive oxygen species which have the potential to damage cell components such as DNA, lipids and proteins. Data about variation in amounts and types of vitamins and antioxidants in rose hips and sea buckthorn berries during ripening are scarce. In this study, fruits from four genotypes of rose (Rosa) and berries from four genotypes of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) were analyzed for carotenoid and tocopherol content and composition during the ripening period. A large change in content of the analysed constituents occurred during ripening and revealed a large variation among the different genotypes. These observations indicate great potential to influence and/or increase the content of these antioxidants in foods containing rose hips and sea buckthorn berries by selection of species, cultivars and harvesting time.