The composition of Roselle Extract’s anthocyanins is up to 1.5-2.8 mg/g, and its antioxidant capacity (ORAC value) is 14,500 μmol TE/g, 3.2 times higher than that of cranberry juice. A clinical trial, published in Food & Function in 2023, showed that daily consumption of 500 mL of 3% Roselle Extract for 8 weeks could potentially reduce systolic blood pressure by 12.7 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 8.3 mmHg in hypertensive patients. FMD vascular endothelial function was increased by 19%. The study also illustrated that its hydroxycitric acid content is 15%-18% dry weight, can inhibit α-amylase activity by 74%, postpone the peak time of blood glucose postprandially by 35 minutes, and reduce AUC by 22% in healthy individuals. Additionally, the National Autonomous University of Mexico 2022 found that roselle polyphenols could reduce liver triglyceride accumulation by 41%, and ALT enzyme activity decreased by 32% in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients.
With respect to the process of production, under conditions of pressure of 30 MPa and temperature of 50℃, the retention rate of proanthocyanidin through supercritical CO2 extraction can be enhanced up to 96%, while that of active ingredient loss by conventional hot water extraction method could be up to 40%. A Thai company used membrane separation and concentration technology in 2021 to increase the content of solid from Roselle Extract from 12% to 28%, reduced the energy consumption of production by 45%, and passed FSSC 22000 certification to be sold to the EU, the unit price of end product (for example, freeze-dried powder) was up to 85 US $/kg, the gross profit ratio was up to 60%. According to Mordor Intelligence, in 2023 the world market of RoselleChallenge extract will be 240 million US dollars with a growth rate of 14.8% a year, among which the consumption of the Southeast Asia market accounts for 43% of the globe, TikTok user statistics show that #RoselleChallenge topic video plays have exceeded 700 million times. 78% of customers believe that its “sweet and sour taste is better than ordinary herbal tea.”.
In food and beverage development, Roselle Extract is added to functional sparkling water, meal replacement powder and alcoholic beverages. For example, a company’s “zero-sugar Roselle flower drink” contains 200 mg extract/can, and clinical evidence has shown that the intake for 4 weeks can reduce the waist circumference of obese patients by 3.2cm and the area of visceral fat by 11%. The jointly released limited edition drink by Hitea and the Chinese Academy of Sciences added 5% freeze-dried Roselle Extract in 2022, and the volume of sales exceeded 500,000 cups in the first week of listing, and the re-purchase rate reached up to 63%. In the market, 2% rosella extract was incorporated into the sunscreen by a cosmetic company, and the SPF content increased to 50+ at the same time, while UV-induced free radical generation decreased by 67%, and the patent data showed that its photoprotective action was 28% more powerful than the chemical sunscreen Ocriline.
Supply chain optimization promotes industrial upgrading: The implementation of drip irrigation in Nigeria in 2023 shortened roselle planting cycle from 180 days to 120 days, increased unit yield by 35%, and reduced pesticide use by 60%. Global sampling results indicated that variation of commercially traded Roselle Extract anthocyanin content was controlled at ±8% and pass rate was as high as 91.3%, much higher than the given 85% standard of ISO 22000. Of note here is that it was accepted by the US FDA in 2023 as a GRAS ingredient with an acceptable safe daily intake (ADI) of 150 mg/kg body weight and acute toxicity LD50>10,000 mg/kg (rats). According to Frost & Sullivan, the Roselle Extract-based energy drink market will reach $1.9 billion by 2028, thus cementing its continued growth potential as a cross-category health ingredient.