Phenolic extracts from Crataegus × mordenensis and Prunus virginiana: Composition, antioxidant activity and performance in sunflower oil

•Major phenolic constituents of Canadian hawthorn and chokecherry were identified.•The radical scavenging activity of the phenolic extracts was assessed.•The performance of the phenolic extracts in edible oils during frying and storage was evaluated.

The prevailing stigmatization of synthetic antioxidants and the inefficiency of endogenous antioxidants like tocopherols during high temperature processing of edible oils necessitate the search for effective natural antioxidants. Here, polyphenolic extracts from chokecherry and hawthorn fruits were screened for possible antioxidative application in fats/oils. Extracts were successively partitioned on sephadex columns and fractions were screened for radical scavenging activity using DPPH and β-carotene assays. Furthermore, sunflower oil fortified with extracts was assessed for stability using accelerated storage at 65 °C, Rancimat at 120 °C, and frying at 180 °C. Phenolic extracts showed significantly high radical scavenging and antioxidant activity in the oil. At the end of storage, hydroperoxide formation in sunflower oil was reduced by up to 50%, and the induction period significantly increased in the presence of extracts. Similarly, a significantly high frying stability was observed for the fortified samples, suggesting that the phenolic extracts can offer effective natural alternative to synthetic antioxidants during frying.