Chemical and nutritional studies on roselle seeds (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.).

Unextracted and extracted roselle seeds (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) were analysed for determining moisture, crude protein, ether extract, nitrogen-free extract, crude fiber, ash, calcium, phosphorus and sulfur. Digestibility trials with cocks showed that the digestible crude protein, total digestible nutrients, starch value and calculated metabolizable energy for the unextracted roselle seeds were 15.36%, 75.81%, 84.06% and 3184 kcal/kg respectively, the corresponding values for the extracted seeds were 27.50%, 68.83%, 64.23% and 2891 kcal/kg. Iodine number, saponification number, Reichert-Meissel and Polenske values for the roselle seed oil were 15.63, 258, 1.75 and 1.14 respectively.