Investigation on the Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity of Extracts from Crataegus azarolus L.: Effect of Growing Location of an Important Tunisian Medicinal Plant

Abstract

For the first time, the current study was designed to evaluate growing location on the chemical composition as well as the DPPH capacity of Crataegus azarolus L. (var. aronia (Willd.) Batt.) methanolic aqueous extracts. It was found that Crataegus azarolus L. collected from Neber (Governorate of Kef) had the highest total phenolic, flavonoids, condensed and hydrolysable tannin contents while the same genus growing in Jdidi (Governorate of Zaghouan) were characterized by the highest content of sugar (15.27 mg Gluc g−1 DW). Moreover, the plants contents’ in P, K, and Na was investigated. Accordingly, the genus origins have shown to highly affect their content in the former minerals. In vitro, antioxidant activity was also determined using DPPH radical and expressed as concentration of each extract in order to inhibit 50% of DPPH radicals. The obtained values ranged from 55.22 to 138.66 μg mL−1. From a nutritional and antioxidant point of view, Crataegus azarolus L. (var. aronia (Willd.) Batt.) can be considered as a valuable variety.