Biochemical and molecular characterization of three colored types of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.)

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is a plant which has a considerable industrial, pharmaceutical and economic values in Egypt and many other countries around the world, mainly for its pleasant sepals. There are many colored types of Roselle depends on sepals color. The biochemical and molecular characterization of three roselle types, green (G), light red (LR) and dark red (DR), were studied. RAPD-PCR patterns for their genomic-DNA were significantly different. The total protein electrophoretic profile of their seeds was similar except for some inter- individual variation in band density. Their total protein contents were 46.0, 66.5 and 68.1 mg/g seed, respectively. In addition to the water-soluble antioxidant capacity, the total polyphenolic-content and the antioxidant activity of 12 roselle extracts, three colored types in 2 solvent systems (aqueous, A and 30% ethanolic, E) and 2 extraction temperatures (hot, H and cold, C), were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods, respectively. The ability of these roselle extracts to inhibit the formation of nitrous acid-induced tyrosine nitration decreases in the order of LREC > DREC > LREH > GEC > DREH > GEH > GAC > DRAH > LRAC > GAH > LRAH > DRAC. (Refaei M. Hussein, Yasser E. Shahein, Amr E. El Hakim and Hanem M. Awad. Biochemical and molecular characterization of three colored types of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.). Journal of American Science 2010;6(11):726-733). (ISSN: 1545-1003).