Chemistry, phytotechnology, pharmacology and nutraceutical functions of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) seed oil: An overview

• Mesta or ambadi oil having diversified use, is generally extracted from fibre crop kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) and roselle (H. sabdariffa) seeds.
• Mesta seed yielding 22-24% oil is source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs and PUFAs) and have high nutritional value.
• The seed oil has various phytotechnological applications, ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacological properties.
• ICAR-CRIJAF, India has developed high yielding and stress resistant varieties of both kenaf and roselle.
• Future breeding objective is to develop high oil containing mesta lines with low anti-nutritional factors along with increased omega PUFAs content.

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) and roselle (H. sabdariffa) commonly known as mesta or ambadi in India, primarily considered as fibre crop in addition to their diversified use as vegetables, food supplements, paper pulp, construction material, animal feed, pharmacological agent, biofuel etc. Both kenaf and roselle seeds contain a variety of bioactive phytochemicals like polyphenols and phenolic acids, phytosterols, amino acids, fatty acids, phospholipids etc. that possess great nutritional, phyto-pharmaceutical and therapeutic values. Mesta seed contain 22–24% oil and is considered to have high nutritional value and health promoting properties due to the presence of relatively high amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs and PUFAs). Kenaf and roselle seeds are also good source of dietary fibers and proteins that have great promise as a feed resource for livestock and value added nutritional foods like defatted seed meal, protein concentrates from defatted seed, seed cake etc. Our institute has developed high yielding and stress resistant varieties of both crops with breeding efforts centered on developing high yielding types with better fibre quality. Recently, identification of high yielding mesta lines with more oil content changed focus toward development of low cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFA), epoxy fatty acids, palmitic (saturated) acid content along with increased omega PUFAs content varieties. The present review focuses on the detailed profile of valuable phytochemicals, nutrients, and health promoting attributes as well as phyto-technological progress, nutraceutical functions, medicinal and biological properties of kenaf and roselle seed oil, so as to explore their potential uses as ingredients of functional food and natural pharmaceuticals.

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