Journal Article

Comparative Studies of Proximate Composition of Three Species in Calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn

Abstract

Hibiscus sabdarifa Linn belong to the family malvaceae. It is an annual herbaceous sub- shrub with more than 300 species which are distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. Most hibiscus species are used as ornamental plants, medicinal values; among them is Hibiscus sabdariffa commonly named as ‘Red sorrel’ and ‘Roselle’. Hibiscus sabdarifa (calyces) have been found to be rich in vitamin, antioxidant and minerals. Therefore, the aim of this work is to determine the proximate composition in calyces of H. sabdarifa. Three samples of calyces were collected, identified as light green, bright red and dark red. They were washed with distilled water and air dried for two weeks and grounded to uniform powder using wood type of mortar and pestle. Proximate analysis was carried out on dried sample of the Hibiscus sabdariffa. The ash contents of the light green, bright red and dark red calyces ranged between 10.00-10.60%, moisture, crude fiber, crude fat, crude protein, and carbohydrate ranged between 9.00-11.00%, 12.00-13.54%, 0.32-0.62%, 7.70-7.88% and 56.90-60.55%. The calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa if consumed in sufficient amount would contribute greatly towards supplementing human nutritional requirements for normal growth and adequate protection against infection associated to the malnutrition.

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