Phenolic Compounds in Hawthorn (Crataegus grayana) Fruits and Leaves and Changes during Fruit Ripening

Phenolics in the fruits and leaves of Crataegus grayana were identified by HPLC-UV-ESI-MS. The contents of these compounds and their changes during autumn were also analyzed. Epicatechin [1–7 mg/g dry mass (DM) in fruits and 1–10 mg/g DM in leaves), procyanidins B2 (2–4 and 1–8 mg/g DM) and C1 (2–4 and 1–8 mg/g DM), hyperoside (0.5–1 and 2–11 mg/g DM), and a quercetin-pentoside (0.3–0.5 and 2–6 mg/g DM) were the major phenolics in both fruits and leaves. C-Glycosyl flavones were present in leaves (2–5 mg/g DM), whereas only trace levels were found in fruits. Ideain and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid were found only in fruits. An additional 11 phenolics were identified/tentatively identified. Total phenolic contents reached highest levels by the end of August in fruits and by the end of September in leaves. The compositional profiles of phenolics in fruits and leaves of C. grayana were different from those of other Crataegus species.