Optimizing Water-Based Extraction of Bioactive Principles of Hawthorn: From Experimental Laboratory Research to Homemade Preparations

Abstract

Hawthorn (Crataegus) is used for its cardiotonic, hypotensive, vasodilative, sedative, antiatherosclerotic, and antihyperlipidemic properties. One of the main goals of this work was to find a well-defined optimized extraction protocol usable by each of us that would lead to repeatable, controlled, and quantified daily uptake of active components from hawthorn at a drinkable temperature (below 60 °C). A thorough investigation of the extraction mode in water (infusion, maceration, percolation, ultrasounds, microwaves) on the yield of extraction and the amount of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidin oligomers as well as on the Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) profiles of the extracted compounds was carried out. High-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry was also implemented to discriminate the different samples and conditions of extraction. The quantitative and qualitative aspects of the extraction as well as the kinetics of extraction were studied, not only according to the part (flowers or leaves), the state (fresh or dried), and the granulometry of the dry plant, but also the stirring speed, the temperature, the extraction time, the volume of the container (cup, mug or bowl) and the use of infusion bags.

Setup of an Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction to Obtain High Phenolic Recovery in Crataegus monogyna Leaves

“…The isolation of phenolic compounds from hawthorn samples depends on some extraction factors including the extraction temperature, extraction time and extraction solvent. Therefore, it seems important to evaluate the impact of the experimental conditions of extraction on the daily intake dose and its reproducibility [16]. Previous studies have used ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) as an efficient technique in the recovery of phenolic compounds in hawthorn leaves, employing ethanol, methanol, water or mixtures of these solvents [2,7,8].…”

Chemoprevention with a tea from hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) leaves and flowers attenuates colitis in rats by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress

“…The tea was produced according to Ngoc et al ( Ngoc et al, 2019 ). A sample of 50 g was infused in 1 L of boiling water using a ‘French press’ Bodum® under 500 rpm magnetic stirring.…”

“…Finally, the herbal tea solution was concentrated using a rotary evaporator and later freeze-dried (Cryotec Model CRIOS-80, Saint-Gély-du-Fesc, France) to obtain the dry hawthorn tea (HT). The same experiment was repeated three times to get a total of 30 g. Lyophilized tea was stored at 4 °C ( Ngoc et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Hawthorn is commonly used as a hedging species in England and Denmark ( Billing et al, 1974 , Weber, 2010 ), and as a herbal remedy throughout the continent ( Dahmer & Scott, 2010 ). Especially, the hawthorn extracts or teas from the leaves and flowers of Crataegus oxyacantha and Crataegus monogyna have been officially approved in Germany to treat patients with mild to moderate chronic congestive heart failure ( Nathan, 1999 ) due to its high content in flavonoids and proanthocyanidins ( Ngoc et al, 2019 ). It is known that flavonoids and proanthocyanidins can 1. decrease the inflammatory processes, 2. act by increasing the activity of enzymes that control the oxidation of the cell membrane ( Panche et al, 2016 , Rauf et al, 2019 ), and 3. possibly modulate the microbiome environment by being fermented by the microbiota ( Cardona et al, 2013 ).…”

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.): An Updated Overview on Its Beneficial Properties

“…The work of Nabavi et al focused on the polyphenolic composition of C. monogyna Jacq., ranging from its chemistry and composition to its medical applications [30]. The recent work of Cao et al [31] gives an updated snapshot of the water-based extraction of the bioactive principles of hawthorn, describing the current experimental laboratory research and further valuable information. In this study, attention has been addressed to the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the extraction, as well as to the kinetics of the extraction according to the part of the plant (flowers or leaves), their state (fresh or dried), and the granulometry of the dry plant, also taking into account parameters like stirring speed, temperature, extraction time, volume of the container (cup, mug or bowl) and the use of infusion bags.…”