Abstract: Phenolic components were sequentially extracted from Morchella angusticeps Peck using solvents with different polarities. As a result, ethyl acetate extract, methanol extract and water extract were obtained, and the phenolic components were identified by high performance liquid chromatography. Then, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity, 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) radical scavenging capacity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of the extracts were determined, and the correlation between phenolic contents of the extracts and antioxidant activity was investigated. The results revealed that the total polyphenol content of M. angusticeps Peck was approximately 20.109 mg/g. The highest content of polyphenols (14.478 mg/g) was detected in the water extract, followed by the methanol extract (5.443 mg/g), and the ethyl acetate extract had the lowest content of polyphenols (0.188 mg/g). Orientin was the most abundant in all three extracts. The DPPH radical scavenging capacity of the water extract was the strongest, the methanol extract possessed the highest ABTS radical scavenging capacity, and ethyl acetate extract exhibited the highest ORAC value. An excellent correlation between ABTS radical scavenging activity or ORAC value and polyphenol contents was observed.

Key words: Morchella angusticeps Peck, polar solvents, antioxidant activity, high performance liquid chromatography