Antioxidant capacity of extracts from hawthorn (Crataegus mexicana) skin

The hawthorn Crataegus mexicana is a traditional Mexican fruit with properties that make this fruit useful for the treatment of many ailments, including diseases of the respiratory and urinary tract. This paper reports the antioxidant capacity of the n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, acetone, ethanol and methanol extracts of C. mexicana. Samples were evaluated for total phenolic and carotenoid contents, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, the inhibition of the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) and the neutralization of the cation-radical 2,2´-azino-bis(3ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS). The total phenolic content was 2.65 ± 0.23 mg of gallic acid equivalents per gram, and the carotenoid content was 26.4 ± 0.02 µg/g in dry hawthorn skin. The most active extract in scavenging DPPH radicals and inhibiting TBARS formation was the acetone extract, with activities of 21.9 ± 0.15 and 13.27 ± 0.70%, respectively, at 10 mg/L. The extracts were compared for activity against ascorbic acid, caffeic acid, α- tocopherol and quercetin. The acetone extract was the most active, with an IC50 value of 15.2 mg/L in DPPH and 17.7 mg/L in TBARS. A high correlation was observed between the results for TBARS and DPPH. These results demonstrate the potential nutritional and antioxidant value of this Mexican fruit.