Volatile Compounds, Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Capacity in Sultan Hawthorn (Crataegus azarolus L.) Leaves

Nowadays, there is considerable interest in plants such as hawthorn that have a rich source of secondary metabolites (volatile and phenolic compounds) in their leaves, with beneficial effects on health. This study investigated the Volatile Compounds (VCs), total phenolic content, and antioxidant activities of Sultan hawthorn leaves collected at three different times based on fruit maturity stages (immature, mature, and over-mature). Our main goal was to determine whether the volatile profile, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity would change depending on the leaf collection time. A total of ۷۸ VCs were identified in the leaves, ۱۱ of which were for the first time. With the progress in fruit maturity, the levels of most VCs varied, the phenolic content and antioxidant activity increased, and acidity decreased. Benzaldehyde and α-farnesene were the principal VCs accounting for ۶۱% of total VCs identified in leaf at the overmature stage. The principal component analysis successfully separated volatile compounds in hawthorn leaves along the fruit maturity stages. For the first time, the present study provided a general overview of the secondary metabolites in leaves from Sultan hawthorn cultivar along fruit maturity stages. The hawthorn leaf collected at the overmature fruit stage proved to have high potential in secondary metabolites and antioxidant capacity.

Keywords:

Overmature fruit stage , Secondary metabolites.