Extraction, identification, and antioxidant and anticancer tests of seven dihydrochalcones from Malus ‘Red Splendor’ fruit

•Seven dihydrochalcone compounds were purified from Malus fruit.•3-Hydroxyphloretin was the best antioxidant among the seven compounds.•Sieboldin and 3-hydroxyphloridzin had better cytotoxicity than other compounds. Five dihydrochalcone compounds, including phlorizin, trilobatin, 3-hydroxyphlorizin, sieboldin and phloretin 2′-xyloglucoside, were isolated from ornamental Malus ‘Red Splendor’ fruit. The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated by LC-ESI-MS and NMR. Phloretin and 3-hydroxyphloretin were produced by hydrolysis. The antioxidant capacities of these seven compounds were examined by DPPH and ABTS assays, while their cytotoxicity to five cancer cell lines were evaluated by the MTT assay. The results showed that the DPPH assay mainly reflected the antioxidant capacity of the B ring, whereas the ABTS assay was mostly related to the A ring of the dihydrochalcone molecule. Moreover, 3-hydroxyphloretin was the best antioxidant among the seven compounds. Both glycosylation of the A ring and the ortho phenolic hydroxyl groups of the B ring were important for the cytotoxicity of dihydrochalcone molecules. Sieboldin and 3-hydroxyphlorizin exhibited better cytotoxicity than other dihydrochalcone compounds. Dihydrochalcones from Malus may benefit human health.