Evaluation of Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity in Ten Selected Mahaleb (Prunus mahaleb L.) Genotypes

Mahaleb (Prunus mahaleb L.) is an important rootstock for P. avium and P. cerasus cultivars. The present study has compared the phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of the methanolic extracts of the barks, leaves and fruits of ten selected mahaleb genotypes. The total phenolic content (5.11-131.77 mg GA g-1) in barks and the total flavonoid (54.06-180.6 mg QE g-1) and proanthocyanidin (8.89-25.33 mg CA g-1) contents in fruits were greater than the other parts of the plants. The maximum contents of total phenol and total proanthocyanidin were in the stem bark and fruit of the genotype '249' (131.77 mg GA g-1, 25.33 mg CA g-1, respectively), while the maximum contents of flavonoid, and anthocyanin were in the fruits of genotype 271 (180.6 mg QE g-1 and 260.81 mg CY g-1, respectively). Antioxidant activity of the samples was determined using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assay (RPA). The antioxidant activity was the highest with the genotype '249', which showed 80.9% and 89.3% in DPPH and RPA assays, respectively. This study showed that total phenolic, flavonoid, proanthocyanidin, and anthocyanin contents were affected by mahaleb genotypes. This information may be of assistance in the production of mahaleb genotypes with maximum levels of desired phenolic.