Geographic origin influences the phenolic composition and antioxidant potential of wild Crataegus monogyna from Spain.

AbstractContext: Crataegus monogyna Jacq L. (Lind.) (Rosaceae) is used in folk medicine as a sedative, aerial parts being rich in polyphenols with antioxidant ability.Objectives: To study the variation in polyphenolic composition and antioxidant ability of spontaneous samples of C. monogyna in order to assess the relationship among these variables.Materials and methods: Aerial parts of C. monogyna were collected from nine different locations in central Spain and extracted with methanol after drying. Total polyphenols were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method using gallic acid (GA) as standard. Sixteen polyphenolic compounds (11 flavonoids and 5 phenolic acids) were identified and quantified by reversed-phase HPLC in one single analysis. The antioxidant ability was evaluated by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and the free radical scavenging activity (DPPH) methods. Linear correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships between the studied variables.Results: Total polyphenol con...