Antioxidant Activity of Red and Purple Rosella Flower Petals Extract (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.)

Aims: This study aims to test the antioxidant activity of red and purple H. sabdariffa flower petals extract and conduct qualitative phytochemical screening.

Study Design: Antioxidant potential of red and purple H. sabdariffa flower petal extract analyzed by spectrometric assays.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at School of Pharmacy Muhammadiyah Cirebon, Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia from the year of 2020 to 2021.

Methodology: Red and purple H. sabdariffa petals extracted with 70% ethanol. The extract was then examined for its antioxidant activity using the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) method, after the qualitative phytochemical screening.

Results: In this study, the concentration of red and purple H. sabdariffa petals extract dependently demonstrated the ability to scavenge DPPH. In the DPPH radical scavenging activity test, the red and purple H. sabdariffa petasl extracts designating IC50 values of 63.77 and 37.19 µg/ml and fall into the category of strong and very strong antioxidant activity. Meanwhile, phytochemical screening tests showed the existence of flavonoids and polyphenols in the extract of red and purple H. sabdariffa petals.

Conclusion: This study shows that the red and purple H. sabdariffa petals extract has potential as a promising natural antioxidant agent for the treatment of oxidative stress.