IT is something which any discerning gardener would most likely pull from their flower bed and deposit on the compost heap.

But now scientists have created a new drink bursting with vitamins using Scottish "superfruit" berries from the bushy weed sea-buckthorn.

Working with Cuddybridge, a small Scottish hand-pressed apple juice producer, researchers from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh distilled the beneficial elixir by mixing the berries with apple juice to create a drink which has been proven to be high in antioxidants. Sea-buckthorn berries, which have a bitter taste, have a higher concentration of vitamin C than strawberries, oranges, tomatoes and carrots.

Dr Mary Warnock, senior lecturer in microbiology at the university, said: "Sea-buckthorn is literally bursting with potential. We are excited that our work in this area is changing the reputation of this undervalued plant to one which can add nutritional value to the Scottish diet.

"It is also heartening to see sea-buckthorn occasionally being incorporated into high-end dining in Scotland."