Antioxidant and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Different Fractions from Hawthorn Fruit

Hawthorn fruit is a conventional medicine used in treating cardiovascular diseases. Its therapeutic effects may relate to its antioxidant compounds. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant activity of CH₂Cl₂, EtOAc, n-butanol and water fractions from 70% methanolic hawthorn fruit extract by total phenolic and flavonoid contents, total antioxidant activity, DPPH free radical scavenging activity, superoxide radical scavenging activity, reducing power assay, lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity and protective effect against hydroxyl-radical-induced DNA damage. Results showed that the EtOAc fraction contained significantly greater antioxidant activities than other fractions, which suggests that the potent EtOAc fraction should be used for further studies to identify the antioxidant compounds.