Abstract
Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. is an important medicinal plant used as an ornamental plant in Turkey. We studied several
morphological and phytochemical properties including fruit weight and dimensions, fruit soluble solid content, acidity, pH,
total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and total monomeric anthocyanins capacities of four selected M. aquifolium
accessions. Notable differences were detected among the accessions. On average, the fruit width and length were 8.4 and
10.2 mm, respectively. Fruit weight and seeds weight of accessions were between 2.9 and 7.3 g and 0.4 and 1.2 g. The total
phenolic contents ranged from 5009.3 to 6646.8 µg GAE/g fresh weight (fw) with an average of 5976.4 µg GAE/g fw.
Antioxidant activities, determined by Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, on average to 12.9 µmol Trolox equivalent
(TE)/g fw. Total monomeric anthocyanins, among the accessions tested ranged from 52.8 to 361.0 µg cy-3-glu/g fw. The
results indicated that M. aquifolium is good source phenol, anthocyanins and antioxidants; thus, it can be used in
pharmacological and food industry due to its antioxidant properties.
