Phenolic profiles and antioxidative effects of hawthorn cell suspensions, fresh fruits, and medicinal dried parts

The polyphenolic content of two cell suspension lines (red and yellow) initiated from the ovarian wall of Crataegus monogyna flower and their antioxidative potencies against ABTS+, DPPH, and human LDL oxidation were compared to those of red fresh and dry fruits, flower buds and flowering tops. Maximal phenolics and proanthocyanidins contents were found in red suspension extracts displaying high antioxidative effects. In contrast, yellow cell extracts were always the poorest in both phenolics and activity. Flower buds and flowering tops have significant phenolic yields and effects. Both fresh and dried fruits are less active. The amounts in some major phenolic compounds were determined in all tested samples: again, the most antioxidant samples were richer, the red cell line showing particularly high amounts in epicatechin and chlorogenic acid, whilst dried flower buds contained mainly hyperoside and chlorogenic acid. (−)-Epicatechin was confirmed to be more efficient as an antioxidant compound than hyperoside and chlorogenic acid in all assays and more generally, proanthocyanidins were found to be more clearly related to antioxidant activity than other classes of phenolics. The major anthocyanin characterising the red cells of C. monogyna was isolated and identified as cyanidin-3-O-galactoside.