Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Traditional Medicine and Food Ingredients)

Hibiscus sabdariffa has been used as food, herbal drinks, and flavoring ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This study aims to explain the botany, utilization and bioactivity of H. sabdariffa. This research was carried out using library research, especially from Google Scholar, using the keywords H. sabdariffa, H. sabdariffa bioactivity, and H. sabdariffa use. The H. sabdariffa is a species belonging Malvaceae, which easy found in the yard and has been cultivated. The traditional medicine, H. sabdariffa is used to treat digestive disorders, liver disease, fever, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, prevention/treatment of cancer, cardiovascular and gout. The use of H. sabdariffa as a traditional medicine is related to its bioactivity such as antioxidant, diuretics, anti-microbial, anti-hypercholesterolemia, anti-diabetes mellitus, anti-hypertension, anti-cancer. and hepatoprotective. The bioactivity of H. sabdariffa is related to secondary metabolites, especially the anthocyanins delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside and cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside. H. sabdariffa has great potential to be developed as a nutraceutical to treat hypertension and diabetes mellitus.