Objective To explore the scavenging effect of hawthorn on oxygen free radicals. Methods Hydroxyl radicals (·OH) produced in H_2O_2/Fe~(2+)system can oxidize phenanthrolene-Fe~(2+) into phenanthrolene-Fe~(3+),so the extant of (·OH) activity was measured by method of phenanthrolene-Fe~(2+) oxidation; and the superoxide anion radicals (O_2~(-·) ) activity was measured by improved method of pyvogallol auto-oxidation. Results The scavenging effects of fresh hawthorn on (·OH) and O_2~(-·) were both significant(P<...