Hibiscus sabdariffa L. as a source of nutrients, bioactive compounds and colouring agents

Abstract

A B S T R A C TThe nutritional and bioactive composition of plants have aroused much interest not only among scientists, but also in people's daily lives. Apart from the health benefits, plants are a source of pigments that can be used as natural food colorants. In this work, the nutritional composition of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. was analysed, as well as its bioactive compounds and natural pigments. Glucose (sugar), malic acid (organic acid), α-tocopherol (tocopherol) and linoleic acid (fatty acid) were the major constituents in the corresponding classes. 5-(Hydroxymethyl) furfural was the most abundant non-anthocyanin compound, while delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside was the major anthocyanin both in its hydroethanolic extract and infusion. H. sabdariffa extracts showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, highlighting that the hydroethanol extract presents not only lipid peroxidation inhibition capacity, but also bactericidal/fungicidal inhibition ability for all the bacteria and fungi tested. Furthermore, both extracts revealed the absence of toxicity using porcine primary liver cells. The studied plant species was thus not only interesting for nutritional purposes but also for bioactive and colouring applications in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Optimization of heat- and ultrasound-assisted extraction of anthocyanins from Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces for natural food colorants

“…Most of the phytochemical studies on the H. sabdariffa constituents have been directed towards the characterization of pigments, namely anthocyanins (Ali et al, 2005;Beye, Hiligsmann, Tounkara, & Thonart, 2017;Jabeur et al, 2017). Delphinidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-glucoside, and in particular delphinidin-3-sambubioside (hibiscin) and cyanidin-3-sambubioside (gossypicyanin) have been identified in calyx extracts (Alarcón-Alonso et al, 2012;Beye et al, 2017;Salazar-González, Vergara-Balderas, Ortega-Regules, & Guerrero-Beltrán, 2012).…”

Antidiabetic activity‐guided isolation of gallic and protocatechuic acids fromHibiscus sabdariffacalyxes

“…The consumption is not limited to ceremonial gatherings owing to the awareness of its functional capability. The functional use of H. sabdariffa includes as antidiabetic, antihypertensive, hypolipidemic, antimetabolic syndrome, anticancer metastasis, neuroprotective hepatoprotective, and vasorelaxant (Ajiboye et al, ; Ajiboye, Raji, et al, ; Griffin et al, ; Igoli, Drummond, Ferro, Zheoat, & Gray, ; Jabeur et al, ; Su, Wang, et al, ). The chemical components of H. sabdariffa responsible for these activities are catechin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, and protocatechuic acid (Da‐Costa‐Rocha, Bonnlaender, Sievers, Pischel, & Heinrich, ).…”

Potential Application of Tetrapleura tetraptera and Hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae) in Designing Highly Flavoured and Bioactive Pito with Functional Properties

“…Nguyen et al [91] extracted anthocyanins from HS. In fact, its rich content of anthocyanins (e.g., delphinidin-3-glucoside, delphinidin-3-sambubioside, cyanidin-3-glucoside, and cyanidin-3-sambubioside), which is responsible for its reddish colouration, has placed it in the spotlight as an alternative source of an edible colouring agent to replace the synthetic colouring additives currently being used [92]. β-sitosterol, ergosterol [93,94], quercetin, luteolin, and its glycoside [95] were also detected in separate studies of HS extracts.…”

“…In addition, T. viride showed resistance to the extracts (MIC = 0.075 and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) = 0.15 mg/mL). The authors ascribed the fungicidal activity to the different concentrations of phenolic compounds identified in the extracts [92].…”

“…Therefore, the addition of concentrated extracts after fermentation may inhibit the growth of microorganisms responsible for spoilage, thus preventing pito from becoming soured, and consequently extending the shelf life. Jabeur and colleagues reported that the amount/concentration of HS extract is essential to achieve a productive biocidal activity, especially when incorporating it in food products or beverages [92]. The application of these two essential plants to brew pito may extend the shelf life, provide bioactive ingredients to promote the health of consumers, and result in economic benefits for brewers (high profits).…”