Scientific insights to existing know-how, breeding, genetics, and biotechnological interventions pave the way for the adoption of high-value underutilized super fruit Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.).

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is an underutilized ecologically and economically important wind-pollinated, low-demanding, dioecious, thorny, and winter hardy tree or shrub native to Europe and Asia. Since ancient times, people living in the cold deserts used it as folk medicine, nutritional supplement, fuel, fence, and fodder. Hence, popularly known as the 'Gold Mine' of cold deserts. Sea buckthorn fruits are nutritionally rich with a high amount of vitamins. It also contains bioactive compounds like tannins, flavonoids, sterols, carotenoids, tocopherols, and lipids, therefore, implying as an excellent source for discovering new drugs and improving the food quality of humans. Unfortunately, aside from excellent traits still very limited progress has been made in the improvement of sea buckthorn through conventional breeding programs therefore, the application of modern biotechnological and high-throughput sequencing tools for the bio-prospection of agronomically important traits is needed to speed up the breeding programs. Highlighting several uses of sea buckthorn, it made a case for its status as an underutilized crop with the potential to contribute to our food and nutritional base. It is an interesting subject of future research and scientific publications, as highlights the scientific insights into the existing know-how i.e. historical perspective, taxonomical and botanical description, genetic diversity and distribution; medicinal and nutritional importance, market potential and key players, breeding constraints, biotechnological advancements, omics-based interventions, and a path forward for adoption and large-scale cultivation of sea buckthorn to provide a clear concept for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]