Common names | hawthorn, one-seed hawthorn

Scientific name | Crataegus monogyna

Used part | Flower

Known active compounds | Quercetin 3-O-gluoside, caffeoylquinic acid, apigenin

Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant

Product name | Hawthorn Flower-APD, Hawthorn Flower-ANB

Plant Story

Crataegus monogyna, called common hawthorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a thorny flowering plant native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and western Asia. Hawthorn has long been a popular hedge plant to contain livestock. The flowers are white to pinkish in color. These fragrant flowers are edible and have been used in teas, syrups, and sweet puddings. The flowers and berries of hawthorn have been used in folk medicine as a heart tonic.

Hawthorn flowers are a source of phenolic compounds. Quercetin 3-O-gluoside was identified as the predominant phenolic compound, and other compounds such as caffeoylquinic acid derivatives and apigenin derivatives were also found. Moreover, hawthorn flowers showed anti-oxidant activities by scavenging ABTS, DPPH, and superoxide anion, as well as metal chelating and reducing power assays.