Hawthorn belongs to the Crataegus genus of the Rosaceae family and is an important medicinal plant. Due to its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity hawthorn has recently become quite a popular herbal medicine in phytotherapy and food applications. In this study, physicochemical characterization (color parameters, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, soluble carbohydrate, total carotenoid, total phenols, and flavonoid contents), antioxidant activity (by ferric-reducing antioxidant power, FRAP assay), and quantification of some individual phenolic compounds of fruits of 15 samples of different hawthorn species (Crataegus spp.) collected from different regions of Iran were investigated. According to findings, the total phenols, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity were in the range of 21.19–69.12 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry weight (dw), 2.44–6.08 mg quercetin equivalent (QUE)/g dw and 0.32–1.84 mmol Fe⁺⁺/g dw, respectively. Hyperoside (0.87–2.94 mg/g dw), chlorogenic acid (0.06–1.16 mg/g dw), and isoquercetin (0.24–1.59 mg/g dw) were found to be the most abundant phenolic compounds in the extracts of hawthorn fruits. The considerable variations in the antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of hawthorn species were demonstrated by our results. Hence, the evaluation of hawthorn genetic resources could supply precious data for screening genotypes with high bioactive contents for producing natural antioxidants and other phytochemical compounds valuable for food and pharma industries.

This study was undertaken to determine the total quantity of phenolic and flavonoids, as well as to find out about the HPLC quantification of some individual phenolic compounds (i.e. chlorogenic acid, vitexin 2”-O-rhamnoside, vitexin, rutin, hyperoside, quercetin, and isoquercetin) in flowers and leaves of 56 samples of different hawthorn species (Crataegus spp.) collected from different geographical regions of Iran. The amount of total phenolics ranges from 7.21 to 87.73 mg GAE/g in dry weight of the plant, and the total amount of flavonoids varied amongst species and in different plant organs ranging from 2.27 to 17.40 mg/g dry weight. Chlorogenic acid, vitexin, and vitexin 2”-O-rhamnoside were found to be the most abundant phenolic compounds in the extracts of hawthorn leaves. Meanwhile, chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, and rutin were the most abundant phenolic compounds in the extracts of hawthorn flowers in most genotypes. The antioxidant activity widely varied in species and in different organs of each individual plant, ranging from 0.9 to 4.65 mmol Fe⁺⁺/g DW plant, calculated through the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method. Thus, this could provide valuable data for developing breeding strategies and plans; it can also help us in selecting genotypes with high phenolic contents for producing natural antioxidants and other bioactive compounds beneficial for food or the pharmaceutical industries.

Due to high water content and perishability, the raspberry fruit is sensitive to postharvest fungal contamination and postharvest losses. In this study, chitosan was used as an edible coating to increase the storage of raspberries, and nanotechnology was used to increase chitosan efficiency. The fruit was treated with an emulsion containing nanoparticles of chitosan (ECNPC) at 0, 2.5, and 5 g L⁻¹, and stored for 9 d. Decay extension rate, fruit phytochemical contents, including total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanin content, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and guaiacol-peroxidase enzymes and antioxidant activity, and other qualitative properties were evaluated during and at the end of storage. After 9 d of storage, the highest amounts of phenolics compounds, PAL enzyme activity, and antioxidant activity were observed in fruit treated with ECNPC at 5 g L⁻¹. The highest levels of total phenol, PAL enzyme activity, and antioxidant activity were 57.53 g L⁻¹, 118.88 μmol/min trans-cinnamic acid, and 85.16%, respectively. ECNPC can be considered as an effective, safe, and environmentally friendly method for enhancing fruit phytochemical contents, postharvest life, and health-promoting capacity.

The Lamiaceae family encompasses numerous species highly valued for their applications in medicine, food, and cosmetics. In order to screen the Lamiaceae family and discover new sources of phytochemicals and antioxidants, we comprehensively evaluated 20 species from this family, including Phlomis herba-venti, P. tuberosa, P. olivieri, P. kurdica, Nepeta sp., N. cataria, N. saccharata, Stachys sp., S. inflata, Scutellaria albida, Marrubium parviflora, Mentha pulegium, Thymus kotschyanus, Lamium album, Salvia officinalis, S. multicaulis, S. macrochlamys, S. candidissima, S. verticillata, and S. nemorosa. The aerial parts of these species were analyzed to determine their total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents, total tannin content (TTC), ascorbic acid content (AAC), antioxidant capacity (assessed by FRAP and DPPH assays), and polyphenolic components (by HPLC). The phytochemical compounds and antioxidant properties varied widely among different species. The highest concentrations of TPC (70.93 mg GAE/g DW), TFC (17.89 mg Que/g DW), TTC (6.49 mg TAE/100 g), and AAC (1.15 mg AA/g DW), as well as the greatest antioxidant activity, were observed in different Salvia species. Additionally, chlorogenic and rosmarinic acids were the primary phenolic compounds identified in the extracts from the investigated Lamiaceae family. According to Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), three groups of species were identified, characterized by variations in phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity. The results obtained can provide new natural sources of phytochemicals and antioxidant agents, particularly from Salvia species, for the advancement of new products in the food, agricultural, cosmetics and health industries.