Flowers, leaves and fruits of hawthorn plant are traditionally used for treating diseases like hypertension and atherosclerosis. The medicinal effects of the plant are generally attributed to its phenolic compounds. However, the fruits are perishable materials because of their high content of water, and generally dried and stored to be used outside its season. The main aim of this research was to investigate the effect of different drying methods on phenolic compounds of the hawthorn fruit. Fruits were collected from the wild growing trees in Turkey. De-seeded fruits were dried in freeze-, oven- (60 oC) and microwave pretreated oven drying (microwave application for 5 min at 360 W before drying at 60 oC) methods and analyzed for antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds, total phenolic content and color parameters. Total phenolic content of fresh hawthorn fruits was found as 13.36 mg g-1 DW. Oven- and microwave pretreated oven drying methods had a reductive effect on total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of fruits when compared to freeze drying method. (-)-Epicatechin (994.10 mg kg-1 DW), rutin (765.30 mg kg-1 DW), and procyanidin B2 (553.80 mg kg-1 DW) were the main phenolics of the fruit. Lowest values of these three compounds were observed in oven-dried fruits. Microwave pretreatment oven drying method resulted in browner product. Although the highest phenolic concentration and antioxidant activity were occurred in freeze-dried sample, microwave pretreatment before oven drying could be applied to reduce the time and cost of drying in terms of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity.

Malus floribunda coccinella is a landscape tree that is generally planted for its pinky flowers and small reddish fruits. The red-fleshed fruits, called crab apples, are rich in anthocyanins and are assumed as an environmental pollution material during the fruit bearing season. The aims of this research were to determine the organic acids, sugars, sugar:acid ratio, color, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of the fruit and also to identify the phenolic compounds, monomeric anthocyanins content and antioxidant activities in the peel, flesh and whole fruit. Malic acid (25.394 g kg-1 FW) was the main organic acid of the fruit. In fruits, amounts of sucrose, glucose and fructose were found to be 0.497, 0.504 and 4.334 g 100 g-1 FW, respectively. Highest total phenolic concentration and antioxidant activity values were observed in the peel among the fractions, while protocatechuic and cinnamic acids, rutin, isorhamnetin-3-glucoside, quercetin, procyanidin B1, (+)-catechin and cyanidin-3-galactoside were predominant phenolics of the peel. Highest amounts of chlorogenic acid and (-)-epicatechin were determined in the flesh. Cyanidin-3-galactoside concentration in the flesh was approximately half the amount of that in the peel.

The main aim of this study was to determine the changes in quality properties and bioactive compounds of 3 crab apple species (Malus evereste, Malus floribunda and Malus floribunda coccinella) harvested at 5 different edible maturity stages. Acidity, soluble solids, organic acid and sugar contents were determined in the whole apple. The fleshes and peels of the crab apples were analyzed for antioxidant activities, color, protein, total monomeric anthocyanin, and total phenolic contents. Maturity stage had no significant effect on size, pH, titratable acidity, and citric acid content of crab apples. Peels of all three species had higher total phenolic, monomeric anthocyanin, tannin, and protein concentrations than their fleshes. M. evereste was the richest source of total phenolic and tannin among the species and it exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. Unlike the total phenolic compounds, anthocyanin accumulation was the highest in the flesh of M. floribunda. Concentrations of sugars in all species increased throughout the maturity. While the highest levels of glucose and fructose determined in M. evereste at the last stage, sucrose concentration was higher in M. floribunda that those in other two species at all stages. The trend in malic acid accumulation showed differences between the species. As a result, it can be concluded that the fruits of all species can be harvested in the first two weeks of September.