1 Volume 2; Issue 01 International Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal Plants Research Article Danapur V, et al. Int J Appl Res Med Plants 2: 111. DOI: 10.29011/IJARMP-111.100111 Pharmacognostic Studies on Hibiscus sabdariffa - A Potential Anti-Obesity Drug Vijay Danapur * , AN Sringeswara, RB Venu Gopal CEO, Vriksha Vijnan Private Limited, Bangalore, India * Corresponding author: Vijay Danapur, CEO, Vriksha Vijnan Private Limited, #520, , Brundavana, 10th Main, 3rd Cross, BHCS Layout, Chikkallasandra, Bangalore, India. Tel: +91 9916893111; Email: vijay.danapur@vrikshavijnan.com Citation: Danapur V, Sringeswara AN, VenuGopal RB (2019) Pharmacognostic Studies on Hibiscus Sabdariffa - A Potential Anti- Obesity Drug. Int J Appl Res Med Plants 2: 111. DOI: 10.29011/IJARMP-111.100111 Received Date: 6 July, 2019; Accepted Date: 22 July, 2019; Published Date: 31 July, 2019 Abstract Hibiscus sabdariffa L, belongs to family Malvaceae. It is grown in China, India and Taiwan and is used as a traditional remedy to treat high blood pressure and liver disorders. Hibiscus fowers are used in Ayurveda for various diseases. An extract from the Hibiscus fower could have the same heart health benefts as red wine and tea. Hibiscus sabdariffa is also a well-known edible plant This plant extract is used as a potential anti-obesity drug. It is commonly known as Roselle and in Karnataka it is called as Kempupundi. Keywords: Anatomical studies; Hibiscus sabdariffa; Obesity; Pharmacognosy; Physicochemical; Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) Introduction Hibiscus sabdariffa is listed as a medicinal plant used in Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicine. Hibiscus sabdariffa is known as roselle or sorrel and is an edible hibiscus. Roselle is an annual or perennial, simple or branched herb. Stem with sparse, simple, bulbous, spiny hairs. Blade ovate and not lobed in the lowermost part, in the upper part 3 - 7 partite; lobes elliptic- lanceolate, coarsely serrate, nearly glabrous on both sides; stipules 6-8 mm long, fliform; petiole 4 - 15 cm long, almost somewhat spiny near the top. Flowers axillary, solitary, sub sessile; epicalyx segments 7 - 8, linear, 6 - 10 mm long, sparsely prickly. Calyx fused at the base, 1 - 2.5 cm long, wooly, also setose or prickly, lobes long acuminate-aristate, with a swollen, linear gland on the central nerve at the base. Corolla yellow with a crimson centre, 3 - 5 cm across; petals obovate, 4-6 cm long, 2 - 4 cm broad. Staminal column inserted. Capsule 1.5 - 2 cm long, c. 1 cm across, conical, beaked, appressed-setose. Seeds many, 2 - 3 mm long, brown. As a multiple-use species, roselle is often mentioned as an energy candidate, yielding fber, beverage, edible foliage, and an oil seed. The young shoots and leaves are cooked or eaten raw, while part of the fower is also used to make sauces, drinks and even preserves. This plant was possibly introduced to the West Indies and Brazil during the seventeenth century and with the slave trade. It was introduced to Australia in the early twentieth century and today it is a major crop in India. A Roselle tea extract was found to have high inhibitory activity against porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase. Hibiscus acid and its 6-methyl ester were respectively isolated as active principles from the 50% methanol and acetone extracts of roselle tea. The activity of each isolate was compared to that of structurally related citric acid, a previously known inhibitor of fungal alpha-amylase [1]. A brief review on the phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of Hibiscus sabdariffa, reveals that the calyces are used in many parts of the world to make cold and hot drinks. Nutritionally, these contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The pharmacological actions of the calyx extracts include strong in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity. In rats and rabbits, the extract showed antihypercholesterolaemic, antinociceptive and antipyretic, but not anti-infammatory activities. In rat and man, a strong antihypertensive action has been demonstrated. The antioxidant effects of the aqueous extracts from dried calyx were quantitatively investigated in vitro using rat Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL). The dried calyx extracts exhibit strong antioxidant activity in Cu (2+)-mediated oxidation of LDL (p <0.05) in vitro [2].