Antioxidant activity of Crataegus aronia aqueous extract used in traditional Arab medicine in Israel

Water-soluble extracts inhibited (1) oxidation of β-carotene, (2) AAPH-induced plasma oxidation and (3) Fe2+-induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenates. In addition, the extract (4) is an efficient scavenger of the O2− (5) increases intracellular GSH levels and (6) is not cytotoxic. Accordingly, we propose that the therapeutic benefit of Crataegus aronia can be, at least in part, attributed to its effective inhibition of oxidative processes, efficient scavenging of O2− and possible increasing GSH biosynthesis.