Evaluation of Chemical, Nutritional and Antioxidant Characteristics of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) Seed

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is one of the valuable plants grown in tropical and subtropical regions such as some parts of Iran. Roselle calyces are commonly used to make herbal tea as well as a natural food color additive. However, Roselle seeds are usually discarded as by-products, while they can be used as a source of nutritious and functional compound. Therefore, in the current study, some of the chemical and nutritional characteristics of Iranian Roselle seed were investigated. In addition, the effects of different extracting solvents on seed extraction yield, total phenol content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (scavenging ability) of the extracts were evaluated.