Abstract: This study investigated the changes in the active components and antioxidant activity of hawthorn during simulated digestion in vitro. The contents of flavonoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides and organic acids in simulated salivary, gastric, intestinal digests and intestinal dialysate of hawthorn and hawthorn extract were determined, and their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical (?OH) scavenging capacity and ferric ion reducing power were evaluated as well. The results showed that all four groups of active substances in five samples had similar trends during the digestion process, and polysaccharides and organic acids were significantly increased after oral and gastric digestion. All antioxidant properties except ?OH radical scavenging capacity showed similar trends during the entire digestion process. Both the salivary and gastric digests presented the highest antioxidant activity, while the intestinal dialysate exhibited the lowest. Therefore, hawthorn seemed to maintain good antioxidant activity during in vivo digestion.

Key words: hawthorn, in vitro digestion, antioxidant activity, active ingredient