Abstract
Hibiscus species are rich in phenolic compounds and have been traditionally used for improving human health through their bioactive activities. The present study investigated the phenolic compounds of leaf extracts from 18 different H. acetosella accessions and evaluated their biofunctional properties, focusing on antioxidant and antibacterial activity. The most abundant phenolic compound in H. acetosella was caffeic acid, with levels ranging from 14.95 to 42.93 mg/100 g. The antioxidant activity measured by the ABTS assay allowed the accessions to be classified into two groups: a high activity group with red leaf varieties (74.71–84.02%) and a relatively low activity group with green leaf varieties (57.47–65.94%). The antioxidant activity was significantly correlated with TAC (0.933), Dp3-Sam (0.932), Dp3-Glu (0.924), and Cy3-Sam (0.913) contents (p < 0.001). The H. acetosella phenolic extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against two bacteria, with zones of inhibition between 12.00 and 13.67 mm (Staphylococcus aureus), and 10.67 and 13.33 mm (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). All accessions exhibited a basal antibacterial activity level (12 mm) against the Gram-positive S. aureus, with PI500758 and PI500764 exhibiting increased antibacterial activity (13.67 mm), but they exhibited a more dynamic antibacterial activity level against the Gram-negative P. aeruginosa.
Highlights
IntroductionA member of the Malvaceae family, is an amphidiploid plant native to Africa and is usually consumed as a green vegetable
Hibiscus acetosella, a member of the Malvaceae family, is an amphidiploid plant native to Africa and is usually consumed as a green vegetable
The phenolic compounds of the H. acetosella accessions were detected by UV-spectrophotometry and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) (Table 2)
Summary
A member of the Malvaceae family, is an amphidiploid plant native to Africa and is usually consumed as a green vegetable. Molecules 2020, 25, 4190 biochemical compounds in the plant leaves and their biofunctional activity [4,5,6,7], while H. acetosella has been much less studied. Phenolic compounds found in Hibiscus plants consist of phenolic acids such as hibiscus, protocatechuic, gallic, chlorogenic and caffeic acids, and the organic acid, citric acid. Flavonoids such as kaempferitrin, gallocatechin, quercetin, and luteolin are present in these plants
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