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Southern University and A&M College System
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTER
Ashford O. Williams Hall ~ P. O. Box 10010
Baton Rouge, LA 70813
(225) 771-2262 office ~ (225) 771-4464 fax
www.suagcenter.com
CIRCULAR – Urban Forestry Natural Resources and Environment No. 604
“Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success”
Biological Characteristics, Nutritional and Medicinal
Value of Roselle, Hibiscus Sabdariffa
Yadong Qi1, Kit L. Chin2, Fatemah Malekian3, Mila Berhane4, and Janet Gager5
1Professor, Urban Forestry Program, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA
2Professor, Plant and Soil Science Program, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA
3Associate Professor, Food Science and Nutrition, Southern University Ag Center, Baton Rouge, LA
4Research Associate, Plant and Soil Science Program, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA
5Research Associate, Food Science and Nutrition, Southern University Ag Center, Baton Rouge, LA
Scientists at Southern University Ag Center are conducting a research project on
Hibiscus sabdariffa, investigating its nutritional value under various growing
conditions. The project plans to introduce its products to food markets and to
reach out small farmers to increase its marketability and profitability. This
bulletin presents the basic information regarding the biological characteristics,
food use, and medicinal values of Roselle,
Hibiscus sabdariffa
.
Hibiscus has more than 300 species which are distributed in
tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Most
hibiscus species are used as ornamental plants, but many are
believed to have certain medicinal properties; among them is
Hibiscus sabdariffa (Fig. 1), commonly named as “red sorrel”
and “roselle”. In this paper, we will call the species by its
common name “roselle”.
Botanic description
Roselle belongs to
Malvaceae family. It is an
erect, mostly branched,
annual shrub. Stems are
reddish in color and up to 3.5
m tall. Leaves are dark
green to red, alternate,
glabrous, long-petiolate,
palmately divided into 3–7
lobes, with serrate margins.
Flowers (Fig. 2) are red to
yellow with a dark center
containing short-peduncles.
The flowers have both male and female organs. Seedpods, as
shown in Fig. 1, are enclosed in their red, fleshy calyces which
are commonly used for making food and tea.
Ecology
Roselle tolerates a
warm and humid
tropical and
subtropical climate,
and is susceptible
to damage from
frost. Its hardiness
zone ranges from 9
to 10. Roselle can
tolerate little shade
and can be grown
in greenhouse (Fig.
3), but it normally
grows best in field
conditions under
the full sunlight
(Fig. 4).
Fig. 2: Roselle flower
Fig. 3: Roselle, grown in a greenhouse condition at
Southern University Agricultural Research and
Extension Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
Fig. 1: Roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa
CIRCULAR – Urban Forestry Natural Resources and Environment No. 604
Circular UFNR, No.604 March 2005
Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center (Southern University AgCenter), an entity of the Southern
University System, Leodrey Williams, Chancellor, Leon Traver, II, System President, S. Albert Gillman, Chairman, Board of
Supervisors. It is issued in furtherance of the Cooperative Extension Work Act of December 1971, and the Agricultural
Research Program, in cooperation with the U. S. Department of Agriculture. All educational programs conducted by the
Southern University AgCenter are provided to all persons regardless of race, national origin, or disability.
Food Uses and Value
Many parts of roselle including seeds, leaves, fruits and roots
are used in various foods. Among them, the fleshy red calyces
are the most popular. They are used fresh for making wine,
juice, jam, jelly, syrup. gelatin, pudding, cakes, ice cream and
flavors and also dried and brewed into tea, spice, and used for
butter, pies, sauces, tarts, and other desserts. The calyces
possess pectin that makes a firm jelly. The young leaves and
tender stems of roselle are eaten raw in salads or cooked as
greens alone or in combination with other vegetables and/or
with meat. They are also added to curries as seasoning. They
have an acid, rhubarb-like flavor. The red calyces contain
antioxidants including flavonoids, gossypetine, hibiscetine and
sabdaretine. The fresh calyces are also rich in riboflavin,
ascorbic acid, niacin,
carotene, calcium, and
iron that are nutritionally
important. The seeds,
are high in protein, can
be roasted and ground
into a powder then used
in soups and sauces.
The roasted seeds can
be used as a coffee
substitute. The young
root is edible, but very
fibrous.
Medicinal Uses
Roselle is used in many folk medicines. It is valued for its mild
laxative effect and for its ability to increase urination, attributed
to two diuretic ingredients, ascorbic acid and glycolic acid.
Because it contains citric acid, it is used as a cooling herb,
providing relief during hot weather by increasing the flow of
blood to the skin's surface and dilating the pores to cool the
skin. The leaves and flowers are used as a tonic tea for
digestive and kidney functions. The heated leaves are applied
to cracks in the feet and on boils and ulcers to speed
maturation. The calyces and seeds are diuretic, laxative and
tonic. The ripe calyces, boiled in water, can be used as a drink
to treat bilious attacks. A lotion made from roselle leaves is
used on sores and wounds.
References
Morton, J. 1987. Roselle. P.281-286. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F.
Morton, Miami, FL.
James A. Duke. 1983. Handbook of energy crops.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy
Acknowledgement
We world like to thank Dr. James McNitt, professor in agricultural science at
SUAREC for his valuable comments and editorial suggestions.
For more information, please contact:
SU Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Yadong Qi, Ph.D. Professor at 225-771-2262 ext 269
e-mail: yadong_qi@suagcenter.com
Kit. L. Chin, Ph.D. Professor at 225-771-2440
e-mail: kit_chin@cxs.subr.edu
Fig. 4: Roselle, grown under field conditions in Louisiana
Fig. 6: Roselle growers in Louisiana
Fig. 5: “Red Zinger” jelly made from Roselle
calyces, sold in the Red Stick Farmer’s
Market, in downtown Baton Rouge, LA.