Hibiscus sabdariffa is recognized as an important medicinal plant worldwide being an objective in several studies worldwide, but there is a lack of chemical information related to Colombian species. However, H. sabdariffa is cultivated in different regions throughout Colombia without any control of chemical composition and/or biological potency. Therefore, the present research shows the chemical characterization of commercial samples of this plant by total phenolic content (TPC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), and by LC-DAD and LC-MS-based anthocyanin profiles. Several samples of H. sabdariffa flower were purchased in markets along Bogotá (Colombia). Ground, dried samples were extracted under previously optimized extraction conditions. Once extraction time was reached, mixtures was separately filtered and evaluated for total phenolic and anthocyanin contents. In addition, obtained extracts were analyzed by means of LC-MS employing a validated method for anthocyanins. Evaluated samples showed high TPC and TAC values (ca. 200 mg eq galic acid per gram of dry plant sample and ca. 5 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside per gram of dry plant, respectively), which is in accordance with nature of H. sabdariffa. However, variability on TPC and TAC values between samples was evidenced suggesting that is highly required quality controlling procedures in order to offer and ensure the better medicinally-attributed properties. LC profiles of the samples exhibited at least eleven compounds, whose two major constituents resulted in those with anthocyanin structure as evidenced on UV and MS spectra related to cyanidin-like derivatives. Although the number of anthocyanins was found to be identical into LC profiles of all samples, the relative area of each chromatographic peak exhibited clear differences among samples. Our results constitute the first report on chemical analysis of Colombian H. sabdariffa flowers with the aim to highlight the requirement for quality control on this plant in our country.
