Abstract: Strawberry fruits from Fragaria ananassa Toyonaka, picked at the green maturity stage were extracted with different solvents under varying conditions of temperature and extraction time and the extracts obtained were tested for their antioxidant components and antioxidant activity. The results showed that methanol-water-HCl (80:19.9:0.1, V/V) extract revealed a significant increase in the contents of total phenols, flavonoids and ascorbic acid, DPPH free radical scavenging activity and ferric ions reducing power when compared with methanol, ethanol, methanol: ethanol-acetone (1:1:1, V/V) and water extracts. The optimal extraction conditions (at 60 ℃ for 480 min) for achieving maximum extraction of antioxidant components did not accord with those (at 25 ℃ for 120 min) resulting in maximum antioxidant activity, indicating that the contents of antioxidant components did not necessarily represent the antioxidant activity of strawberry fruit extracts. Comprehensively considering the contents of antioxidant components and antioxidant activity of strawberry fruit extracts, we concluded that extraction with methanol-water-HCl mixture (80:19.9:0.1, V/V) for 120 min at 25 ℃ is more suitable for extracting antioxidant components from Strawberry fruits.

Key words: strawberry, fruit extract, extraction solvent, antioxidant component, antioxidant activity