Content of Polyphenolic Compounds and Biological Activity of Berries, Leaves and Flowers of Crataegus L.

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Abstract
In this study, the berries, leaves and flowers of six species of hawthorn ( Crataegus L.) were evaluated for bioactive compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids, procyanides, UPLC profile) and their antioxidant activity (ABTS •+ , CUPRAC, iron ion chelation, scavenging O 2 ·- and OH − radicals). Most of the analyzes were performed for the first time for this material. The content of bioactive compounds differed significantly both between the species and morphological parts studied. In particular, the highest content of polyphenols was determined for hawthorn berries (301.65 to 387.16 mg/100 g d.w.), including the highest concentration for C. x subsphaericea . The polyphenolic profile of this species was dominated by flavan-3-ols, with procyanidin trimer, (-)-epicatechin and procyanidin dimer being the most numerous. Hawthorn berries were also characterized by the highest antioxidant activity, among which the species C. laevigata x rhipidophylla x monogyna showed the strongest antiradical activity (0.91 mmol TE/g and 294.96 µg/ml for tests with the ABTS •+ and OH − radical, respectively) and chelating iron ions (700.28 µg/ml). In conclusion, the results explain the traditional use of hawthorn in folk medicine and indicate a potentially new wider application as a source of natural antioxidants in the design of functional foods.

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