Ajoku GA, Okwute SK and Okogun JI
The calyx of green Hibiscus sabdariffa is used in Nigeria to prepare soup, stew and sauces as distinct from the red variety which is used to produce a popular local drink known as sobo due to their health benefits. This work therefore aims to identify some of the chemical constituents of the green variety which has been scarcely investigated. Hexadecanoic acid methyl ester and 1,1, 2-ethanetricarboxylic acid-1-hydroxy-1,1-dimethyl ester were isolated from the methanol extract of the calyx of the green Hibiscus sabdariffa using chromatographic methods, including Flash column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography. They were characterized using spectroscopic analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectral (GC-MS) analysis. This is the first report of the presence of hexadecanoic acid methyl ester and 1,1, 2-ethanetricarboxylic acid-1-hydroxy-1,1-dimethyl ester in the calyx of the green variety of this plant. These compounds are probably associated with the antimicrobial and other bioactivities previously reported for the plant.