Quantification of Ten Polyphenols in the Leaves of Chinese Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. var. major N.E. Br.) by HPLC

Abstract

The variation of the contents of vitexin-2²-rhamnoside, vitexin-glucoside, vitexin, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, chlorogenic acid, eucomic acid, epicatechin, procyanidin B2 and C1 in leaves of Chinese hawthorn (Crateagus pinnatifida Bge. var. major N.E.Br.) were evaluated by a HPLC method. The total content of the phenols in young leaves was 11.90 mg/g dry weight and the main constituents were vitexin-2²-rhamnoside (5.22 mg/g dry weight) and vitexin-glucoside (3.50 mg/g dry weight). Eucomic acid was particularly found in Chinese hawthorn, its content was around 2.5 mg/g dry weight. The contents of the other 7 phenols increased gradually during the growth period. On October 7th, the total content of the ten phenols reached the highest level (21.49 mg/g dry weight), in which the total amount of the 5 flavonoids was 11.57 mg/g dry weight and that of the three procyanidins was 5.35 mg/g dry weight and the chlorogenic acid was 2.03 mg/g dry weight. At that time, the differences between total contents of phenolic in leaves on different parts of twigs were not significant. But the rate of the C-glycosideflavonoid/O-glycosideflavonoid decreased from 8.08 in the first leaves to 1.83 in the 8th leaves. The style of main polyphenols in young leaves of Chinese hawthorn was different from the European hawthorn (C. oxyacantha).