International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences
ISSN: 2229-3701
____________________________________________Review Article
Review on Hibiscus rosa sinensis
Anil Kumar‫ ٭‬and Ashatha Singh
Pharmacy College, Itaura, Chandeshwar, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT
Nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years and an impressive number of modern drugs
have been isolated from natural sources, many based on their use in traditional medicine. Higher plants, as sources
of medicinal compounds, have continued to play a dominant role in the maintenance of human health since
ancient times. Over 50% of all modern clinical drugs are of natural product origin and play an important role in
drug development programs in the pharmaceutical industry. Ethno medicinal value of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis have
been evaluated which include the followings. H. rosa sinensis has been used for the treatment of a variety of
diseases. It is an easily available plant for natural remedies here in this article some pharmacological activities of
this plant is focused.
Key Words: Hibiscus rosa sinensis, therapeutic use, pharmacology.
INTRODUCTION
Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis a well known member of the
family Malvaceae, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis grows as an
evergreen herbaceous plant. A native to tropical and
sub-tropical regions, this plant is extensively
cultivated as an ornamental plant. It bears large
flowers on the bushy hedges. These enormous
flowers are usually dark red in color and are not
usually fragrant. Grown in different regions of Asian
continent, these beautiful flowers are denoted by
several other names such as China rose. The huge
size and the reddish color and hues attract humming
birds and the gardens growing these flowers are
regularly visited by the humming birds. Vigour,
attractive foliage, strong root system, longevity, easy
to maintain, good flowering characteristics, etc. are
some of the characteristics which are needed to be
kept in mind while cross breeding the hibiscus plant.
Today, various new varieties have been cultivated
and developed through cross breeding. These new
varieties bear all the blended characteristics and are
increasing in popularity as well. Different cultivars
and hybrids have been produced and developed with
flowers ranging in colors and other features.
Prominent colors that have been promoted in the
recent past are white, yellow, orange, scarlet and
different shades of pink.
ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis are native to Tropical Asia. A
native of Southeastern Asia (China), the plant is
commonly found throughout the tropics and as a
house plant throughout the world. Most ornamental
Vol. 3 (2) Apr – Jun2012
varieties are hybrids. The present wide range of
cultivars is considered to be a complex of inter
specific hybrids, between 8 or more different species
originating from the African East Coast and islands
in the Indian and Pacific Ocean.
COMMON NAMES
China rose, China rose plant, Dasani, Gudhal,
Gurhal,
Jaba,
Joba,
Mandaar,
Sadaphool,
Senicikobia, Japaphool, Japa, Japakusam, Jasum,
Jasunt, Jaswand, Jia pushpa, Kante, Mandasa,
Sambathoo Chedi, Senitoa Yaloyalo.
VERNACULAR NAMES
Sanskrit- japa, Hindi- jasum, Gulhar, Bengali- jaba,
English- Chinese hibiscus, Shoe flower, China rose,
Malayalam- Bunga Raya, Tamil- Sembaruthi,
Telugu- Dasananu.
Tribal
name:
HinduMa-pangi
(Marma),
Raktajaba(Chakma).
PLANT PROFILE
Botanical Name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.
Kingdom;
Plantae
Subkingdom:
Tracheobionta – (Vascular plants)
Super division: Spermatophyta – (Seed plants)
Division:
Magnoliophyta –(Flowering plants)
Class:
Magnoliopsida – (Dicotyledons)
Subclass:
Dilleniidae
Order:
Malvales
Family:
Malvaceae
Genus:
Hibiscus
Species:
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
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International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences
PLANT TYPE: Shrub or Small tree
PARTS USED: Flowers, leaves and root
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT
Roots: Cylindrical of 5-15 cm length and 2 cm in
diameter, off white in colour light brown transverse
lenticies. Its fracture is fibrous. Roots taste sweet and
mucilaginous.
Leaves: Leaves are simple ovate or ovate- lanceolate.
Leaves are entire at the base and coarsely toothed at
the apex. Taste is mucilaginous.
Flowers: Flowers are pedicillate, actinomorphic,
pentamerous and complete’. Corolla consists of 5
petals, red in colour and about 3 inches in diameter.
Fruit: The fruit (very rarely formed) is a capsule
about 3 cm long.
Varieties: Many varieties exist differing in size and
colour, in single (or) double forms. The important
colours include Red, White, Yellow, and Light Red.
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS
Leaves and stems contain β-sitosterol, stigmasterol,
taraxeryl acetate and three cyclopropane compounds
and their derivatives. Flowers contain cyanidin
diglucoside, flavonoids and vitamins, thiamine,
riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid (Ghani, 2003).
Quercetin-3-diglucoside, 3,7-diglucoside, cyanidin3,5-diglucoside
and
cyanidin-3-sophoroside-5glucoside have been isolated from deep yellow
flowers; all above compounds and kaempferol-3xylosylglucoside have been isolated from ovary
white flowers (Rastogi & Mehrotra, 1993).
THERAPEUTIC USES
Flowers : refrigerant" emollient and emmenagogue,
aphrodisiac; decoction given in bronchial catarrh;
infusion of petals is a refrigerant drink in fever,
demulcent in cough and useful in strangury, cystitis
and other genito-urinary troubles· Oil from the fresh
petals and olive oil in equal proprotion find
application in alopecia;
Leaves : anodyne, emollient and aperient; juice
beneficial in gonorrhoea, alopecia and also used for
blackening hair; The buds have a sweet odour and
bitter taste; cooling, astringent; remove burning of
the body, urinary discharges, seminal weakness,
piles, uterine and vaginal discharges; promote the
growth of the foetus; cause vomiting and intestinal
worms. The flowers fried in ghee check excessive
menstruation, the fresh root-juice of the wild flower
variety is given for gonorrhea, and the powdered root
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for menorrhagia. The root is valuable in coughs. The
flowers are considered emollient, and an infusion of
the petals is given as a demulcent and refrigerant
drink in fevers. Externally they are used in all kinds
of inflammation.
PHARMACOLOGY
It is well accepted that the leaves and flowers of
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis have various pharmacological
properties.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Fam. Malvaceae) is a
perennial ornamental shrub available throughout
India. Various parts of this plant, like leaves, flowers
and roots, have been known to possess medicinal
properties like aphrodisiac, menorrhagia, oral
contraceptive, laxative, etc.
Several articles and ancient literature have shown that
the flowers of this plant possess antifertility activity,
like antimplantation, abortifacient, in rodents.
Implantation is a very crucial event in reproductive
physiology. Several biochemicals, biophysical and
hormonal changes take place prior to this event.
Several studies have shown that endometrial
membrane conditions are important for blastocyst
implantation progesterone, estrogen, oxyradical and
antioxidant systems regulate implantation.
The aqueous-ethanolic extract of aerial parts of H.
rosa sinensis was reported for its use in constipation
and diarrhea.
In traditional medicine, the leaves of the plant are
used in fatigue and skin disease. Fresh root juice of
the plant is given for gonorrhea and powder root for
menorrhagia. Flowers of the plant are used in
epilepsy, leprosy, bronchial catarrh and diabetes.
An infusion of the petal is widely used in Ayurvedic
medicine in India as a demulcent, refrigerant, drink in
fever and decoction is given in bronchial catarrh.
Previous studies showed that the plant possesses
anticomplementary, anti-diarrhetic, anti-phologistic
activity. It has been reported that the plant flower
possesses anti-spermatogenic and androgenic, antitumour and anticonvulsant activities. Infusion of the
petals is given as refrigerant and demulcent. Leaves
are used as laxative while root is used in cough.
Hibiscus extracts or related products have protective
effects in rat stomach.
Turkish researchers found fresh fruits of Hibiscus
esculentus L. (Malvaceae) had protective effects
on ethanol-induced ulcerogenesis in a study of rats.
Hibiscus extracts showed benefits on diabetic rats.
Indian researchers noticed the blood glucose and
insulin lowering effects of ethanol extracts of
Hibiscus rosa sinensis (flower) in streptozotocin
induced diabetic rats. They observed the maximum
hypoglycemic effect after 21 days of use. In other
studies, repeated administration of the extract (once a
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International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences
day for seven consecutive days), at an oral dose
equivalent to 250 mg kg (-1), also significantly
improved glucose tolerance in rats. They believed
that the leaf extract acts like tolbutamide and the
mechanism of action may be a stimulation
of pancreatic beta cells to produce more insulin or an
increase of the glycogen deposition in liver.
Thus, mechanism of action could be speculated partly
to increased utilization of glucose, either by direct
stimulation of glucose uptake or via the mediation of
enhanced insulin secretion.
Hibiscus extracts showed effects on glycogen
content. Ethanolic extracts (50%), as well the
benzene extracts, of H. rosa-sinensis Linn. have
reduced significantly the glycogen contents in the
uterus of adult rat in a dose proportional fashion.
Hibiscus flower extracts may have anti-fertility
properties. Kholkute SD and co-workers prepared
extracts from Hibiscus rosa sinensis flowers, leaves,
and stem barks and they found only extracts from the
flowers of the plant were 100% effective in
preventing pregnancy.
Those flowers collected during the winter showed the
greatest potency, followed by those collected in
the spring, rainy season, and summer, in decreasing
order. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (Malvaceae) has
been reported to have their fertility inhibiting effects
in the male. In another study, intake of alcoholic
extracts of H. rosa sinensis flowers led to decreased
spermatogenic elements of testis and epididymal
sperm count. While, researchers found Hibiscus rosa
sinensis Linn. Extracts had no effects on weights of
the male reproductive organ in a study of rats.
Hibiscus extracts may have benefits of anti-cancer
activities. Indian researchers showed a protective
effect of Hibiscus rosa sinensis extract against the
tumor promotion stage of cancer development in
mice skin. They first induced hyper proliferation and
oxidative stress using benzoyl peroxide and then UV
radiation. The benzoyl peroxide application caused
significant depletion in the detoxification and
antioxidant enzymes, while malondialdehyde
formation, hydrogen peroxide content, ornithine
ISSN: 2229-3701
decarboxylase activity and DNA synthesis were
raised significantly. They found pretreatment
of Hibiscus rosa sinensis extracts partly restored the
levels of cellular protective enzymes. Researchers
also noticed its anti-cancer activities in other animal
studies.
Hibiscus extracts may have benefits of hair growth.
Indian researchers claimed Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
might help hair growth, based on their animal and
test-tube
studies. In the animal study, they applied 1% extract
of leaves and flowers in liquid paraffin topically over
the shaved skin of rats for 30 days. In the vitro study,
they culted the hair follicles isolated from rat
neonates extracts of leaves or flowers. They found
extracts from leaves offered better benefits for hair
growth in rats.
Hibiscus extracts may benefit in convulsion. Indian
researchers also claim that the ethanolic extracts of
flowers of Hibiscus rosa sinesis
exhibited
anticonvulsant activity in a mice study. The extracts
protected animals from maximum electro shock,
electrical kindling and pentylenetetrazole-induced
convulsions. They reported, the extracts raised brain
contents of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) and
serotonin.
Hibiscus may cause dermatitis and skin irritation.
Studies have shown that Hibiscus rosa sinensis
interfered the estrous cycle and reproductive organs
in female albino rats. Application of Hibiscus
extracts for 30 days resulted in a significant reduction
in the weight of the ovaries, uterus, and pituitary
gland.
Hibiscus
rosa-sinensis
flowers
are
contragestative agent in animal studies.
In mouse, oral administration of the benzene extract
of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flowers at a dose level of
1 gm/kg body weight/day from day 5-8 of gestation
led to termination of pregnancy in about 92% of
the animals. The effect was associated with a
significant fall in peripheral level of progesterone and
increase in uterine acid phosphatase activity, as
measured on 10 day.
Hibiscus rosa sinensis
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International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences
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