Bioactive profile and mineral composition of fruit extracts from four wild hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) species

This study compared the antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content (TPC), phenolic composition, lipid oxidation level, and mineral profiles of extracts obtained from four wild hawthorn species (Crataegus tanacetifolia, C. orientalis subsp. orientalis, C. orientalis subsp. szovitsii, and C. monogyna) collected from northeastern Türkiye. Significant interspecific variations were observed in DPPH, FRAP, and CUPRAC assays. While C. monogyna had the highest reducing capacity and TPC, C. orientalis subsp. szovitsii had the highest DPPH activity. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry analysis showed that catechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, and quinic acid were the major phenolics, and were particularly abundant in C. monogyna. Despite having a high phenolic content, C. monogyna had the highest malondialdehyde level, indicating that phenolics alone were insufficient to fully inhibit lipid oxidation. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry mineral analysis detected high levels of K, Mg, and P in all species. Principal component analysis effectively distinguished the species based on their antioxidant, phenolic, and mineral profiles. Overall, hawthorn fruits were confirmed as valuable sources of natural antioxidants and essential minerals.